TURA, Dec 29: Education in Meghalaya, particularly in Garo Hills, has always brought out polarizing views from the various echelons of local society. While one section believes the current scenario just needs to be improved upon, others feel there is a need for a complete overhaul of the system itself to provide an opportunity for the state to compete with the best in the country or the world.
The continued slump in pass percentages (hovering around the 30% mark) in Garo Hills has led many to seek answers to the malaise that has inflicted the region.
At the end of 2022 and just prior to the election, education became a major focal point mainly due to the vast number of teaching vacancies in the state, most of which were more than 3-4 years due. A majority of these vacancies were in the Garo Hills region with more than 100 schools going without either primary or secondary level teachers, due to the lack of teachers.
The worst affected has been the district of SGH where not only is the lack of teachers a major problem, the lack of education infrastructure is as bad. Attempts to rectify this are currently on.
Meghalaya went to elections in February with the NPP ruling the roost once again, returning for a second term with a bigger share in the political landscape. The state then got a new education minister in the form of two-time MLA from Rongara – Siju, Rakkam A Sangma.
The new minister called for an immediate review of the education scenario promising a positive change in the offing. The first need of the hour became the recruitment of thousands of teaching vacancies. Prior to the recruitment, contractual teachers were appointed to school in an attempt to make up the teaching deficit while recruitment went along.
In another major move by the state on education, the NCERT curriculum was adopted by the state to galvanize education as well as reduce student-teacher workload. Most in the know welcomed the decision.
One of the main problem areas for the state of education remains the various strata of schools, with at least 7 different types being present. The different types of schools continue to remain a headache for the state. What is worse is that in some types of schools, the appointing authority for teachers’ remains in the hands of the school managing committee (SMC), despite the school running on grants provided by the state.
This situation has continued to lead to favouritism in appointments with even people with dubious qualifications being pushed. The situation is so bad in some schools that teachers who have been recruited are unable to teach even primary levels, forgetting higher education.
The matter not only needs a very close scrutiny to punish those providing falsified information but also those allowing these to go unpunished.
Another issue that flared up during the recruitment process this year has been the SC judgment on the qualification of 18 month D.El.Ed holders from various open universities for LP schools. The SC judgment clearly stated that these teachers will not qualify for government job recruitment. A complaint by B-Ed teachers who have also been barred from primary level recruitment threw the entire issue out in the open.
These same complainants have stressed that a majority of those that will get appointment are actually diploma holders from various NIOS establishments. This allegation is yet to be seriously probed though once the recruitment process is complete the issue is expected to flare up once again.
In terms of results from the various examinations (SSLC and HSSLC) this year too has not been any different with results once again leaving a lot of room for improvement. Many schools in the state reported zero pass percentage. Urban schools, as expected, did a whole lot better than those from the rural belt where education infrastructure is something that has left a lot to be desired. Whether the coming year actually sees changes for the better, remains to be seen.
As per the education department these are the things that have been done for education over the past year to better the current situation.
The first has to be the introduction or implementation of NEP and attempts to ensure the state follows suit.
“All government school buildings, either renovated or freshly constructed, are in the advanced stages. We have also passed bills regarding the first state university, Capt WA Sangma State University. We are also ensuring the completion of the State University Building, Tura Urban Planning and Architecture College , Rongjeng College, Mawphlang Science College , Patharkhmah College are expected to start next session,” said Sangma.
He also added that 21 People’s Colleges along with the constitution of Meghalaya State Education Commission to study ways and means in giving quality education, was underway.
“The process of recruiting more than 1,300 teachers is in the advanced stages and is likely to complete soon. We have also signed MOU with IIT Guwahati for Teachers Training and Science Labs and AI. We expect the recruitment drive to continue. We have also decided to do away with proxy teachers,” he added.
There is, as per reports, an attempt to introduce the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) programme to map every teacher and student through their performance in the education scene.
Going by the situation unless strong action is taken, there is but a few dollops to share between those that can really adopt an education and those that need to fight for one. The situation, if things are taken in the right way only shows a way forward for the good.
