Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui today described his unhappiness at seeing students who want to pursue their Class 11 and 12 shunning government schools for prestigious private institutions.
On the other hand, he admitted that government schools do not have as good reputations as some of these private ones despite state school teachers being paid well.
Schools like St Anthony’s and St Mary’s in Shillong are favoured over government-run institutions but to reverse this trend is “not the duty of the government alone, it is for the stakeholders as a whole,” the minister said.
Partially satisfied with the increase in pass percentage after a gap of five years, Rymbui, however, said that the level in Garo Hills is still not up to the mark.
“The Deputy Commissioner of different districts and education officers have addressed this issue in the last two years but it looks like it needs more work. In Garo Hills there are signs of improvement, so I hope that in coming years things will improve,” he said.
On the issue of why government schools are not able to match private ones, Rymbui said, “Government teachers are well paid and trained, so what is lacking in them to teach students so that they can do better?”
The minister also reminded students that one result is not the deciding factor but that exams are a continuous process and students should keep preparing themselves for competition.
