Shillong, Feb 8: The Meghalaya government has announced plans to merge schools in the state to address issues of low enrolment and inefficient use of resources.
Speaking on Friday, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma stated that Mgehalaya has over 14,000 schools, with many having low enrolment numbers, including 206 schools with zero enrolment and 2,269 schools with single-digit enrolment.
According to Sangma, the state’s schools include those run by the government, SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) and private institutions, including those managed by church denominations, leading to duplicated efforts and low student numbers.
The CM said that by merging these schools, the government aims to reduce the total number to around 12,000.
He pointed out that Meghalaya’s education sector is marked by significant numbers: 14,582 schools, with 5,500 teachers and a total annual salary budget of Rs 1,967 crore.
This includes Rs 917 crore for government grant-in-aid private schools, Rs 684 crore for government teachers and Rs 366 crore for SSA teachers.
Recently, the state has approved a structured pay framework for ad hoc and SSA teachers, which will increase the annual expenditure by approximately Rs 817 crore.
Sangma highlighted that this additional Rs 200 crore could have been spent on establishing a much-needed veterinary college.
Comparing Meghalaya (population 29 lakh, 55,000 teachers) with other North East states, the data shows that Tripura (population: 36 lakh) has 4,900 schools and 36,000 teachers, Manipur 4,600 schools and 42,000 teachers, Nagaland 2,700 schools and 31,000 teachers and Mizoram 3,900 schools and 23,000 teachers.
Sangma acknowledged the challenge of closing schools due to potential political backlash but emphasised the need for rationalisation to ensure efficient use of resources. He also mentioned that there are 24 teachers’ associations in the state, with four associations each for ad hoc and SSA teachers.
