As per the latest Performance Grading Index (PGI) of the Education Ministry, Government of India for school education, Meghalaya emerged as the State with the lowest scores in infrastructure and facilities domain thus bagging the title ‘Worst Performer in India’.
Once upon a time, Meghalaya was amongst the best epicenters for school education in the north-eastern part of India with a potential for being one of the superior education centres in the country. Sadly, every citizen has to witness the downfall of the education system in the State. The pride and esteem of which everyone once had in their sleeve, turned into shame and vexation. What has the government of Meghalaya been doing all these while? Struggling hard for such a collapse? What policy and strategy does the department implement for such a disgrace?
The Chief Minister and the Education Minister claimed that the report released by the Education Ministry for the past three years is a great thing as it will serve as a tool for the government to analyse the area of improvement so in need. Seriously? Mr. Chief Minister and Mr. Education Minister, do you of all people take us the residents of the State as fools who believe in ‘Failed and then Act Policy’ like you do?
In fact, the Education Department’s structural system itself is a defect. The same bureaucrats are allowed to serve the department for countless years, be it at the directorate level or the secretariat level.
The nepotism in the administrative appointment in the department from the block level to the district level has greatly contributed to the failure of the education system in the State. Well deserving and promising incumbents are deprived of their rights even with their higher qualifications, towering experiences and knowledge of the area.
District Mission Coordinators who are the sole backbone in the school education at the district level are mostly appointed from college faculties who have already engaged with their primary duties. Thus, holding such offices serves as a secondary priority for them. It is a crucial time that the government analyses and reviews the administrative reforms from the lowest level to the highest ones. Implementation of ‘One person one post policy” is the need of the hour.
Schools in rural areas need to be thoroughly and regularly assessed and monitored. Frequent inspection by the concerned authority is much in need. Immediate investment of infrastructure and facilities in rural schools and flourishing towns need to be in place. Teachers training programme and allied orientation programme should be extensive. School academic syllabus and curriculum need revision and review to upgrade the standard of education.
Ironically, posts of Principals, Vice Principals in government schools are mostly appointed at political will and foul play. Teachers teaching at secondary levels with much lesser qualifications are promoted to Principal/ Vice Principal in higher secondary schools bypassing those senior Assistant Lecturers with much higher qualifications, experiences and knowledge of the demanding administrative task. What such policy is the government playing? Why does the government not spare even the school education from gambling in the State?
Basic amenities in schools need attention as such facilities are left unattended by the government in most rural schools. Revision of the teachers’ salaries under SSA, RMSA and other ad hoc grants must be processed to uplift the spirit and morale of such deserving teachers to enhance their sense of responsibilities and priorities towards their duties.
With the current worst achievement reported through the PGI, the State government has exhibited another milestone of failure. Are the Chief Minister and the Education Minister even aware and understand the shame and the disgrace that the State is currently facing after such a report?
Three years of constantly achieving failure in governance from illegal coal trafficking issue, pandemic policy making issue, MeECL business issue to education downfall issue of which in short is failure after failure. What’s next MDA Government? (The writer is an eminent personality in Jaintia Hills and resides at Panaliar, Jowai)
