GROUND REPORT
From Biplab Kr Dey
KHARKUTTA (NGH), Jan 20: Amid the daily struggles faced by educationists and students, another troubling example has emerged that highlights the harsh realities confronting both learners and teachers in their pursuit of education.
Earlier this week, this correspondent visited the village of Dokongsi, about 23 km from Kharkutta in North Garo Hills (NGH) district. The largest Lower Primary school in the area, Dokongsi Government LP School, has a student strength of over 130—around 150 if pre-primary children are included—but is being run by just two teachers, who attend regularly to impart education to their students.
About Dokongsi village
Dokongsi village lies around 23 km from Kharkutta and about 70 km from the district headquarters at Resubelpara. Located in one of the remotest corners of Meghalaya, the village did not have a workable road connection until 2023. Beyond Dokongsi lie a few more villages under the jurisdiction of North Garo Hills, after which begins West Khasi Hills district.
Since 2023, the village has been better connected to other parts of the state as the road nears completion, making it accessible throughout the year.
The village is divided into three parts—A, B and C—with C having the highest number of households. There are about 200 households across the three sections combined. While there are a few upper-primary schools in these villages, the only lower-primary school is located in the C section and caters to more than 150 children.
The villagers are primarily farmers and plantation owners and depend on MGNREGA and other central welfare schemes to supplement their income and development.
Past condition of Dokongsi Govt LP School
According to locals, the school was established in the early 1970s and has always had high enrolment. Initially, it functioned from two Assam-type buildings, which served as the sole infrastructure for decades.
Over time, these structures deteriorated significantly. For more than a decade, the school functioned without proper walls, roofs, doors, windows or even flooring, despite repeated appeals by residents for improvement.
In 2022, the government finally responded after the local MLA, Rupert Momin, nominated the school for construction under his constituency. A sum of just over Rs 37 lakh was sanctioned by the state government under the School Infrastructure Upgradation Project (SIUP), leading to the construction of a new building.
Six 10×12 rooms for over 150 students
The new building consists of six rooms measuring 12 feet by 10 feet each, meant to accommodate over 150 students—conditions described by villagers as nothing short of hellish.
“The children can’t even sit side by side within the classrooms and some have to stand outside while school is in progress. The size of each room is not even enough to fit a king-size bed but still has to accommodate close to 40 students along with a teacher. It’s so cramped that there is hardly room to breathe, forget about sitting,” stated village sordar Dillipson Sangma.
While the earlier infrastructure was in a deplorable state, villagers said the new construction has failed to significantly improve conditions due to the small classroom size and lack of basic facilities.
Until this year, the school did not even have toilets. One toilet is currently under construction, but villagers allege that the work is being carried out poorly. A visit to the site revealed a structure reportedly built without adequate support beams.
“There is only one upcoming toilet but no urinal. The structure has come up without support beams, while the septic tank is too small. We are sure that within just a short while, the structure will break apart. Can one toilet be enough for more than 150 students who attend the school? It’s actually ridiculous and infuriating,” added Sangma.
Villagers further alleged that the construction process lacked transparency. Although the school building was sanctioned in 2022 and completed within a year, residents claim they were never informed about the contractor.
Alarmingly, within just two years, the structure has already begun to deteriorate. “Just two years after the construction, the doors and windows are already getting damaged, as they have used only plywood doors. One door has already come apart and we had to use the rusty wooden doors from the previous school to replace it. The foundation has not been done properly and cracks are visible already. There was no monitoring during the construction. The construction workers did not listen to the village elders and did the work as they pleased,” complained the villagers.
“We are happy that our village got a new building for our children to study in, but the size of the classrooms and the lack of space have hampered them badly. If only the situation had been worked out according to our requirements, this could have turned into a blessing, but now it feels more like a curse,” they said.
Only two teachers for over 150 students
Adding to the crisis is the severe shortage of teachers. The lone lower-primary school is being run by just two teachers.
“If you take the PP section, there are six different classes that are taught by the teachers. That means at any point in time, they are only able to teach two classes while the other four remain idle. This has been hampering education for our children. We desperately need more teachers. What if one of them falls sick or has to go on leave? How do the children manage then?” asked the villagers.
According to residents, the shortage of teachers has persisted for years despite repeated appeals for rationalisation. While they acknowledged the dedication of the existing teachers, they said the situation is untenable for delivering quality education.
Missing digital library
Meanwhile, villagers also complained about a digital library building that was sanctioned but has yet to materialise.
“A library centre was also sanctioned for the village, but it is not known which department approved it. The order for construction was received sometime in January 2025 and land was allotted. We don’t know who has been given the construction work or who is supposed to carry it out, but till date, no building has come up, although some sloppy earth digging has been done at the site,” they added.
