By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 12: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will have a huge financial implication as the state government would not receive any direct funding from the Centre for its implication.
He also said the state government cannot roll back the NEP and would have to work out the finances.
He said the Centre will not provide any funds but will help the state in ways such as creating the infrastructure of colleges. “We will have to work out the funding,” he added.
The CM, however, did not outline how the state government would generate funds for implementation of the NEP.
“Almost all principals I spoke to said the NEP is good for the students and the right way forward. The challenge is in implementing it immediately,” he said.
Sangma said the NEP, entailing multi-disciplinary subjects, is a good concept but the colleges are worried about the transition from a three-year course to a four-year semester system and starting the science stream. “They want to know who will pay the salaries of the (extra) teachers and construct the buildings,” he said.
Pointing out that the NEP needs adapting to, Sangma said most college principals, teachers, and students are not against the policy. “We will discuss and see how to implement it,” he said.
The chief minister said the NEHU Vice Chancellor was right in saying the state cannot go back on the decision to implement the NEP. “The whole country is moving forward. We need to go ahead too by working together to overcome the challenges,” he said.
“It is likely that students may face challenges but a transition is always complicated. Students will have to learn to adapt. You have to realise that the NEP is great and we should go ahead with it,” he added. The CM also invited the Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association (MCTA) for a discussion on the concerns they have been raising against the implementation of NEP.
“I don’t say they are causing problems; they have concerns and there is no problem in that…we will talk to them. Whoever has concerns may come to us. Our Education minister is ready to meet them and if necessary, I am also available,” Sangma said.
