Shillong, Mar 21: The Education department has stated that students who are enrolled for the two-year Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) programme are not serious about completing their course.
Sources said that out of the enrolled strength not even 50 per cent of the students pass the course.
“They don’t even attend the classes. They enrol to get the scholarship,” an Education department official stated.
There were complaints by students pursuing the course that they have not been able to get their scholarship of Rs. 5,000 per month.
“If you pass, we will give you a scholarship,” the official said.
When asked if this was the reason for the government to withhold the scholarship, the official said that the state has not stopped the monthly stipend.
The official said that the current batch of students who are yet to receive the scholarship have never met officials of the Education department but met the Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui only in January this year.
Government officials informed that the scholarship of the D.El.Ed students is pending with the Planning department and there are 2000 such candidates.
The Directorate of Educational Research and Training (DERT), Meghalaya, conducts the admission process for the two-year D.El.Ed course. This program is offered at seven District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) across the state. Candidates must Class XII or its equivalent from a recognized Board/Council with at least 50 percent marks.
Recently, the D.El.Ed students training to become elementary level teachers, have expressed concern about the delayed release of their stipends by the government. They stated that this financial assistance is crucial for them, as it helps cover daily needs, travel, and training expenses.
According to them many students from rural areas stay in rented accommodations with high rents, relying on the stipend to make ends meet. The students said that despite meeting with education authorities and the Minister of Education, the stipend remains unpaid, months after completing their first-year exams. The delay has caused significant trouble and disappointment, affecting their ability to complete training, they added.
