By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 19: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has dubbed Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma’s recent claims of Meghalaya being the only Northeastern state to support private schools a bluff, warning that the state’s education system could face serious consequences if the government continues its current approach.
The party accused the Chief Minister of misrepresenting facts instead of focusing on the urgent need for legislative reforms to protect teachers and students alike.
VPP spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh said, “It is rather shocking to hear the Chief Minister state that Meghalaya is the only state in Northeast India that pays the salaries of teachers in private colleges. Grant-in-aid colleges are not unique to Meghalaya. In fact, Meghalaya inherited the grant-in-aid and deficit colleges systems from Assam.”
“For the Chief Minister’s information, the Government of Assam has moved forward by provincialising colleges while also continuing to maintain some deficit colleges to this day,” he noted.
Myrboh pointed out that while Assam has taken commendable steps to improve the service conditions of teachers in aided schools and colleges, the Government of Meghalaya, under the Conrad Sangma administration (as with previous governments), has shown little interest in implementing or enforcing the Assam Act of 1969 for the benefit of teachers.
“It is ironic that, while other states have taken responsibility for providing publicly funded education from school to college level—as mandated by the Constitution of India—the Government of Meghalaya continues to follow a colonial mindset that sees education as outside the responsibility of the state,” he added.
He criticised the state for failing to establish enough government schools and colleges, while treating financial aid to private and community-based institutions as an act of charity.
About 90 percent of students in Meghalaya are enrolled in private institutions, a fact acknowledged by government documents, he said.
“Can we imagine what would have happened to Meghalaya had it not been for the private, government-aided schools and colleges? The government itself, in various documents, has acknowledged that about 90 percent of students in (Contd on P-7)
VPP bins CM’s claim…
(Contd from P-1) Meghalaya are enrolled in private institutions,” he said further adding, “Not only has the state government failed to establish enough government schools and colleges, but it also treats its financial aid to private and community-based institutions as an act of charity. This is a callous attitude that deserves strong condemnation”.
He warned that grant-in-aid is often used not in the public interest, but to further political objectives of nepotism-driven politicians, citing the example of many “people’s colleges.”
Strongly urging the Chief Minister to stop making demeaning statements, Myrboh called for immediate legislative action to improve service conditions for teachers, warning that financial aid should not continue to be granted merely through executive orders.
He also expressed scepticism over the government’s stated intention to take over private educational institutions, arguing that such a move could worsen the education system and increase costs for families.
“The intention of the government to take over the managements of private educational institutions should be taken with scepticism. It has been proven that the government has failed to run the government institutions already in existence in all fronts whether infrastructure or learning outcomes. By taking over more institutions, things will worsen unless Meghalaya adopts the Assam model. The VPP would like to advise the government to concentrate on existing government institutions,” he added.
Stating that the strength of education in Meghalaya is the deficit system which is based on public-private-partnership where resource utilisation, service delivery and discipline among employees is better, he questioned, “How many of the past and current ministers and officers in Meghalaya graduated from government schools and colleges? If the government really goes ahead as stated by Lahkmen Rymbui, education in Meghalaya will become costlier.”
