SHILLONG, Aug 30: Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma has highlighted the critical need to provide opportunities for aspiring primary schoolteachers, suggesting the establishment of more DIET institutes in Meghalaya, even extending them to block levels.
Taking part in a short-duration discussion on the need to increase the number of seats in DIET Nongstoin, raised by UDP MLA Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar, Mukul said, “This issue of providing the space for aspiring young men and women to be teachers in primary schools is very crucial because as we all are aware of the challenges pertaining to teaching is posed before the teachers.”
He also suggested the state government to complete the partially constructed educational training institutes that had previously been funded by the central government but were left unfinished.
VPP MLA VPP MLA Brightstar Marbaniang, on the other hand, called on the state government to reconsider its decision and reinstate the scholarships for students of the District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET).
Marbaniang emphasised the importance of filling the 70 vacancies currently present across the seven DIETs in the state. He said, “Increasing the seats is essential, but without filling the vacancies, it will not do justice to the students.”
Referring to an assurance given by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma that scholarships would be provided, Marbaniang expressed dismay over a recent notification that stated that the government was not in a position to continue with the scholarship programme, which provided students Rs 5,000 for ten months.
He urged the government to rethink this decision, stressing that the scholarship is crucial for many students, particularly those from humble backgrounds pursuing a two-year diploma in elementary education.
He also reminded the state government that one batch of students had not received their second-year scholarship and requested its immediate disbursement.
Meanwhile, HSPDP MLA Methodious Dkhar pointed out that the intake capacity of DIETs, originally set at 50 students, has remained unchanged despite the growth in the number of schools and students.
He urged the state government to address these concerns by exploring the possibility of increasing the intake capacity to 100-150 students and establishing new DIET institutes in other districts.
He also suggested granting permission to other institutions to offer DLET courses to aspiring teachers.