Editor,
I wish to compliment the author of the Special Article ‘Fill the Classrooms, Fill the Minds’ by Maitphang Syiem, published in The Shillong Times on May 6, 2026, for highlighting a matter of grave concern regarding the poor learning outcomes among school children in Meghalaya.
The author has rightly stressed that the primary focus at the elementary level must be on Reading, Writing and Basic Arithmetic. If a student reaches Class VI and is unable to read a simple paragraph, write a meaningful sentence, or solve basic arithmetic problems, it clearly indicates that his educational foundation is weak.
The findings cited in the article are alarming. While enrolment and attendance may have improved, learning has not kept pace. A child who spends six years in school without acquiring foundational literacy and numeracy is being deprived of the very purpose of education.
One of the major reasons for this situation is the acute shortage of teachers in many Lower Primary Schools. It is not uncommon to find schools with only one or two teachers managing classes from KG to Class V. Under such circumstances, it is difficult to provide the individual attention that young learners require to master the basics.
The problem is further aggravated by the increasing burden of non-teaching duties assigned to teachers. Apart from classroom teaching, they are required to perform duties related to election work, BLO assignments, census operations, maintenance of Mid-Day Meal records, online data entry, digital reporting of school activities, surveys and numerous other administrative tasks. As a result, a significant portion of their time and energy is diverted away from teaching.
Today, our teachers are undoubtedly more qualified, better trained and more professionally equipped than their predecessors. This raises an important question: Why are so many children unable to achieve the same foundational competencies despite being taught by a far more qualified teaching force? The answer perhaps lies not in the quality of teachers but in the conditions under which they are expected to work. Much of their valuable time and energy is consumed by duties unrelated to teaching, leaving less time for meaningful classroom instruction and individual attention to learners.
I belong to a generation when nearly 90 percent of teaching and learning took place within the classroom itself. Until the Generation X era and even a few years thereafter, there did not appear to be any serious concern regarding foundational learning outcomes. Most people who completed their elementary education during those years could read fluently, write correctly and perform basic arithmetic with confidence.
Ironically, many teachers in those days were less qualified than today’s teachers and had little or no formal professional training. Yet students learned. Teachers had a clear mission—to ensure that every child could read, write and calculate. They were not burdened with endless administrative responsibilities.
Another important fact worth noting is that most parents during those days were not highly educated. Many children came from families where parents had studied only up to the primary level, while some were completely illiterate. There were no private tuitions, coaching centres, smart phones or online learning platforms. Yet children acquired basic literacy and numeracy because schools and teachers ensured that learning took place within the classroom itself. This demonstrates the crucial role played by effective classroom teaching and a strong focus on foundational learning.
I still vividly remember that by Class V we were confidently solving fractions, composing sentences from a vocabulary of words given by our teachers and reading fluently. The strong foundation laid during those formative years enabled us to progress smoothly in higher classes and later in life.
I also vividly recall that during census operations and many election-related activities, enumerators and supervisors were commonly recruited from educated unemployed youth. This arrangement served a dual purpose: it provided temporary employment opportunities while allowing teachers to remain in schools and focus on teaching. Today, when thousands of educated young people are searching for work, there is a strong case for reconsidering this practice instead of routinely assigning such duties to teachers. Every day a teacher spends away from the classroom is a day lost in a child’s learning journey.
The Government must seriously reconsider the growing load of non-teaching work imposed on teachers. Duties such as census operations, surveys and election-related assignments can be entrusted to educated unemployed youth, as was often done in the past. This would not only provide temporary employment opportunities but also allow teachers to devote their full attention to classroom instruction.
At the same time, urgent steps must be taken to address the shortage of teachers in Lower Primary Schools. No school should be expected to function effectively with only one or two teachers handling multiple classes. Ensuring adequate teacher strength is a prerequisite for improving foundational learning outcomes.
If Meghalaya is serious about improving learning outcomes, the solution lies not merely in more schemes, reports and infrastructure projects. It lies in ensuring that every child acquires strong foundational skills in reading, writing and arithmetic, and that every teacher is given the time, support and freedom to teach.
The future of our children depends not on the number of years they spend in school, but on what they actually learn while they are there. Unless we strengthen the foundations at the elementary level, we will continue to produce students who advance from one class to another without acquiring the basic skills necessary for higher learning, meaningful employment and responsible citizenship.
Yours etc…,
Jairaj,
Via email
Growing Impact & Implications of the “Cockroach Janta Party” Social Media Trend
Editor,
Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to draw public attention to a rapidly escalating online phenomenon known as the “Cockroach Janta Party.” This trend has recently gained massive traction across various social media platforms, transforming from a seemingly isolated internet joke into a widespread cultural talking point.
What initially manifested as a light hearted meme has now evolved into a mainstream digital movement, engaging a significant demographic of internet users, particularly the youth. While internet humour is a staple of modern communication, trends of this nature often carry underlying social commentary or cynicism that can influence public discourse. As young minds increasingly consume and participate in this wave, it raises important questions about the nature of contemporary digital satire, political irony, and its long-term impact on youth perspectives.
As a society heavily plugged into the digital world, it is crucial to analyze how such viral trends shape the mindsets of our younger generation. I hope this letter serves as a prompt for readers to critically reflect on the media we consume and propagate daily.
Yours etc.,
Jake Leuken Chullai
Shillong
