Every year for the last three years there have been more than a hundred schools in Meghalaya that have not had a single student pass their exams, with 124 in 2024.
This shocking statistic shows just how far Meghalaya, once celebrated as the educational hub of the North East, has fallen in standards. It is no wonder that the state is at the bottom of the Union Ministry of Education’s Performance Grading Index (PGI) for 2021-22. The dropout rates remain stubbornly high, prompting the state government to re-evaluate and address the root causes of its educational challenges.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma briefed reporters on this subject this evening. Much of the subject matter was covered by Highland Post in its lead story that appeared on Monday.
In that report, HP noted that Meghalaya has many times the number of schools that it apparently needs. Although it has a smaller population than Tripura (based on the 2011 census), Meghalaya has nearly three times more schools, 14,582 compared to 4,929. Manipur, with a similar population to Meghalaya, has only 4,617 schools. Additionally, Meghalaya has an unusually high number of aided schools, whereas other states have relatively few. Nationally, aided schools account for less than 5 percent of the total number of schools but in Meghalaya this proportion is 29 percent.
“You can clearly see that Meghalaya stands out significantly. We have 14,582 schools for a population of just 29 lakh. How did this come to be? Over the last 53 years, the system kept expanding. While having a large number of schools and teachers isn’t inherently bad, it brings its own challenges. Compared to other states with similar populations, Meghalaya has far more schools,” the CM explained.
Across the state and across the various categories of schools, there are 206 that have no students whatsoever and another 2,269 with fewer than 10 students each. Among deficit and ad hoc schools alone, there are 18 with no enrolment and 1,141 with single digit enrolment. Among SSA schools there are 30 with zero students and 268 with fewer than 10. And in government schools there are 11 with zero students and 143 with fewer than 10.
But even in the schools without students salaries are being paid to teachers. The government allocates Rs 917 crore annually for the salaries of teachers in government-aided private schools, surpassing the Rs 684 crore spent on government school teachers. Additionally, Rs 218.68 crore is spent annually on teachers’ salaries for higher education, with Rs 37.08 crore allocated to government colleges and Rs 179.6 crore to government-aided private colleges, of which Rs 121.66 crore goes to just 13 private colleges.
Performance-wise, 124 schools have recorded zero pass percentages in 2024, 146 in 2023 and 118 in 2022. There are also 36 schools that have not seen a single student pass in all three years. “While our student-teacher ratio is among the best, nearly 40 percent of teachers do not meet the latest Government of India training standards,” the CM explained.
“We have been doing our best to address the systemic challenges in the education sector, which stem from decades of issues at all levels – primary, secondary, and beyond,” Sangma said. “We’re working to improve course materials, examination patterns, and overall quality. While it’s a complex problem without a single solution, we are committed to making tough decisions to improve the system. The numbers presented are factual and reflect the scale of the challenges we face. This isn’t about assigning blame or declaring what is right or wrong but about understanding the background and the resources involved. Addressing these issues requires careful analysis and collaboration to find sustainable ways to improve Meghalaya’s education sector.”
When asked about the timeline for categorising government and private schools, the CM acknowledged that combining all private institutions under one category would have a financial impact in the hundreds of crores of rupees. “It’s a tough decision and, while it could be done immediately, the budget constraints make it challenging. We are exploring options, possibly taking a phased approach or restructuring the system, and are in discussions with various organizations,” he said.
Addressing concerns about institutions charging exorbitant fees, Sangma acknowledged ongoing debates on the issue. He noted that while private schools have autonomy over their fee structures, government aid for teacher salaries raises questions about government oversight. “We must balance the interests of schools, colleges, and students. It’s premature to comment on specific measures, but we are working toward a framework to address these concerns,” he said.
Also Read: https://highlandpost.com/meghalaya-too-many-schools-not-enough-students/
