Shillong: NPP MLA from Gambegre Mehtab Chandee, participating in the Short Duration Discussion on the current state of education in Meghalaya, welcomed the improvement in examination results and reduction in school dropout rates while calling for greater focus on learning outcomes, equitable distribution of higher secondary schools and skill-based education in rural areas.
Chandee credited the government’s CM Impact programme for what she described as encouraging improvements in the state’s education sector.
She said the SSLC pass percentage had increased from 54.80 per cent to 97.26 per cent in the current year, while the dropout rate had declined significantly from 17.4 per cent to 6.7 per cent.
“While these results are very promising,” Chandee said, there was also a need to look beyond examination results and assess whether students were achieving meaningful learning outcomes.
She stressed that the quality of teaching and critical-thinking skills should be given equal importance as the programme continues.
Chandee also raised concerns over the uneven distribution of Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) schools across Meghalaya.
She said several members had already highlighted that HSSLC centres were concentrated largely in Shillong’s urban areas and Tura, while many rural areas continued to lack adequate access to higher secondary education.
Using her Gambegre constituency as an example, Chandee said there was currently only one HSSLC school in the Medlem area, forcing students from some areas to travel for two to three hours to reach their centres.
She urged the Education Department to undertake a district-wise assessment and survey to determine whether the existing number and location of HSSLC schools are adequate and equitably distributed.
“The distribution should be based on the actual needs of students in rural and remote areas,” she suggested, emphasizing the need to reduce the burden on students who have to travel long distances to continue their education.
Chandee further called for greater emphasis on vocational education and skill development, particularly for students in rural Meghalaya.
She suggested that the government consider establishing more skilling centres and vocational training institutes across the state.
With Meghalaya now having its own university, she said there was an opportunity to develop courses and curricula specifically suited to the needs of the state’s youth and local economic conditions.
She particularly advocated for agriculture-based skill training in rural areas, noting that Meghalaya remains largely an agrarian society.
Such programmes, she said, could provide students with alternative pathways after SSLC, especially for those unable to pursue conventional higher education due to financial, geographical or other constraints.
“These courses can be tailor-made for our youths,” Chandee said, suggesting that professional and vocational programmes linked to agriculture could help rural students acquire practical skills without necessarily having to leave their communities.
Chandee said strengthening vocational avenues would ensure that students who do not continue into conventional higher education still have opportunities to pursue professional and livelihood-oriented training.
She concluded by emphasizing that the improvement in examination results should be accompanied by stronger learning outcomes, better access to higher secondary education and a wider range of skill-based opportunities for Meghalaya’s youth.