The Education Department has sought a report from all districts in the State to find out if there were any students who dropped out of school in the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was informed by Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui while replying to a question raised by East Shillong MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh during the budget session of the State Assembly here today.
The full academic session of schools has just started and we are seeking a report from all districts to study if there are any dropouts and, if yes, how many and how to address this issue,” Rymbui said.
Earlier, Lyngdoh referred to a report from the Union Education Ministry which stated that 17 per cent of children have dropped out of school at the higher education level and at least 10 million girls are at the risk of dropping out of school.
“We want to know if the Education Department in Meghalaya has conducted any research to identify these problems in our State,” she said.
Lyngdoh also said that as per the recommendations of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), states should identify vulnerable groups and provide financial aid to students across the country besides special academic support sessions and provision for teachers to undergo adequate training to adapt to the new normal.
