Meghalaya has launched a flagship programme to equip adolescents in government schools across the State with life skills, employability education and foundational literacy and numeracy programmes.
Called Meghalaya Programme for Adolescent Wellbeing, Empowerment, and Resilience (MPOWER) the government has entered into a three-year partnership with Magic Bus India Foundation.
The partnership will focus on equipping adolescents in Grades 6–10 with essential life skills and employability education through a teacher-led life skills education programme, preparing them for personal and professional success. The intervention will also involve building capacity of state institutions by building a cohort of master trainers that will train teachers, in collaboration with the State Education Department, to deliver a curriculum tailored to the State’s socio-cultural context.
For out-of-school adolescents, Community Learning Centres will be identified to impart Foundational Literacy and Numeracy programmes, helping build core competencies and facilitating reintegration into formal education.
The curriculum will be implemented in South West Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills, and West Garo Hills, starting with Life Skills Classes in Year 1.
An official statement today said the initiative also supports Meghalaya’s Sustainable Goals (SDGs) and aligns with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023, prioritising holistic development of adolescents to thrive academically and socially in the 21st century and enabling their transition into the world of work.
Meghalaya has nearly 1 million students enrolled from Class 1 to Class 12, as per the UDISE+ 2021-22 report. This includes 530,390 in primary, 244,008 in upper primary, 117,496 in secondary, and 63,044 in higher secondary levels, highlighting the state’s significant school enrollment figures. “This underscores the significance of this partnership, addressing the pressing need to enhance education and skill-building opportunities for the state’s youth,” the statement said.
Development Commissioner and Principal Secretary Sampath Kumar said, “There has been continuous thought and planning to address these issues, and we need to integrate external efforts with the state’s existing strategies. While we are implementing these interventions, it’s important to understand what the state is already doing and work alongside those efforts to build state capacity.”
Global CEO of the foundation Jayant Rastogi said the ambitious programme framework addresses the needs of the times. He said the recently launched Magic Bus youth skilling centre in Shillong marks the beginning of a strong and impactful partnership with the government in building the life and employability skills of young people.
As part of this collaboration, the Youth Skilling Centre in Shillong, launched by Magic Bus India Foundation, will train 150 young women in FY 2024-25 in life and employability skills. In partnership with the State Skill Development Department, the centre will focus on preparing youth for customer-centric roles in the service sector, both within Meghalaya and across India.
The MoU signing event was also attended by Vijay Kumar Mantri, Commissioner & Secretary, Education Department, Ramkumar, Additional Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare cum Mission Director-NHM and Swapnil Tembe, Secretary, Education Department, along with the team from Magic Bus India Foundation, Dhanashri Brahme, Chief of Programmes and Pallav Kumar, Regional Director, East & NE.
