Shillong: Meghalaya Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma on Monday raised concern about the alarmingly low enrolment of students in schools. The minister said that the state government will verify the data released by the Ministry of Education and take necessary action to address the issue.
He mentioned that as per the data released by the ministry, 168 primary schools have less than 10 students enrolled. Similarly, 101 upper primary schools recorded low enrollment of students.
When asked about the next steps, Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma said that closing schools is not the answer, but it may be considered for some schools if necessary. However, the minister said that an official will visit the schools to verify the report and only then the next course of action will be taken.
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He added that the department will have to check and understand what the cause of low enrollment whether it is due to lack of infrastructure, lack of teachers or other issues.
When asked about merging of schools due to low enrollment, Sangma said that merger is not possible as some schools are located in remote or inaccessible areas. “Some schools can be situated at the top of a hill with distances of 5 to 10 kilometers, so it would be difficult for them to commute daily,” Sangma said.
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