VPP urges govt to trash CM IMPACT guidebook

SHILLONG, April 6: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Sunday demanded trashing of the CM IMPACT guidebook, making it clear that it would adversely impact quality education in Meghalaya.
“We are happy that students have passed their matriculation. But what concerns us and anyone who is serious enough about education is the quality of education,” VPP spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh said on Sunday.
Myrboh, himself an academician, wondered if a high pass percentage was enough.
“One big question remains whether high pass percentage translates into higher learning outcomes? If yes, our state has a bright future but if not we are playing a prank on our children,” he said.
Listing down suggestions to improve education in the state, he said, “The M-Tab distribution should be stopped immediately as it serves no body except wasting public money and the number of schools needs to be pruned down.”
He suggested that the service conditions of teachers in the private sector should be regulated as per relevant section of the Meghalaya School Education Act, 1981, and a minimum salary slab and EPF should be implemented.
According to him government schools and colleges should be made accountable for dismal performance in the examinations while government colleges should be given autonomy.
He also suggested that grant in aid should be de-politicised and teachers at the higher education level should be subjected to competition.
Lastly, he suggested that reforms should be initiated for MBoSE examination to be at par with the other national boards etc.
The CM IMPACT refers to the “Chief Minister’s Initiative to Maximize Pass Achievement and Classroom Triumph” which was launched by the Meghalaya government in 2024 to improve education and address low student pass rates, particularly through supplementary exams and targeted resources. While the CM IMPACT has resulted in a record pass percentage of 87.10% in this year’s SSLC examination, educators have critiqued the dependence on the guidebook.
A large number of educationists feel that the high pass percentage is not going to be enough since it does not prepare students adequately for higher studies.
They feel that students will face more pressure in Classes XI and XII by relying on a guidebook that provides ready-made questions and answers and emphasised the importance of encouraging students to think critically and write answers based on their understanding of the textbook.
Some teachers feel that over-reliance on the guidebook could lead students to become dependent and may hamper their academic development.
Brighter students are likely to suffer under this system since the guidebook mainly caters to those looking to simply pass the exams, they said.