Tura: TMC youth leader Richard Marak on Tuesday said that the claims and excuses of Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma on Meghalaya’s poor performance in the Ministry of Education’s Performance Grading Index (PGI) is ”unacceptable”.
“The rankings were based on several parameters such as accessibility, network, and infrastructure. It’s not acceptable to blame the surveyors for not visiting the schools while giving grades to the states. The state needs to focus on improving its own performance and invest in the necessary resources to provide quality education to the students,” Marak said.
Performance Grading Index (PGI) is a unique index that provides evidence-based comprehensive assessment of school education system in all states and union territories.
He further added that the comparison of Meghalaya’s performance with bigger states like Kerala is also not acceptable as the states have different levels of development and resources.
According to him, the government needs to take necessary steps to address the issues and improve the state’s overall ranking. He said, “The education sector is critical for the development of any state, and the government needs to invest in resources to provide quality education to the students.”
“While the Education Minister claims that the government is prioritising education, the reality is that the NPP-led MDA government has been neglecting the education sector and depriving the children of the state of their ‘right to education’. The termination of teachers’ contracts has led to many vacancies, and it is concerning that many schools are functioning without adequate teachers,” Marak claimed.
He feels that the education sector in Meghalaya requires a multi-faceted approach to address the issues for holistic development.
He said that the lack of infrastructure, shortage of teachers, and inadequate training for teachers are some of the issues that need to be addressed at the earliest. The TMC leader also laid stressed on the need for students to have access to digital resources and technology to enhance their learning experience.
“The government should work with the stakeholders to identify the issues and come up with solutions for its development. By investing in the necessary resources, Meghalaya can improve its overall ranking and provide quality education to its students,” he added.
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“It’s unacceptable that the state government has failed to fulfill its constitutional obligation to provide quality education to its citizens. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that every child has access to education. It’s concerning that the NPP-led MDA government has not taken any steps to fill up the vacant posts for teachers,” he stated.
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