[HumJanenge] Meghalaya hits a low in education

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1101108/jsp/northeast/story_13150618.jsp

Shillong, Nov. 7: How will 2010 be remembered in the annals of
education in Meghalaya?

The glaring anomalies in the selection of assistant teachers for lower
primary schools, the strike called by deficit schoolteachers who were
demanding an extension of the new revised payscales and arrears, and
now, protests by students of two universities — the educational
scenario in the state has been far from ideal.

In February, a group of candidates who had applied for the posts of
assistant teachers in lower primary schools in Jaintia Hills brought
out a list of anomalies in the way appointments were made to the said
posts. The candidates had resorted to the Right to Information Act,
2005 to bring to light the anomalies.

Following the government's delay to extend the new revised payscales
as recommended by the Fourth Pay Commission, the deficit
schoolteachers protested in April which crippled the functioning of
several schools.

The deficit schoolteachers again launched a series of agitation in
September to press for the payment of 40 per cent arrears. The
agitation ended last month after the Mukul Sangma government promised
to release the arrears before Christmas.

The North Eastern Hill University and the Institute of Chartered
Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI) were also in turmoil last month.
While the Nehu students opposed the appointment of a "non-local"
vice-chancellor, A.N. Rai, the ICFAI students launched an indefinite
boycott of classes and the forthcoming examinations to seek an
explanation on the status of the institute.

Nehu has been embroiled in turmoil since last winter amid a series of
allegations against former vice-chancellor Pramod Tandon.

Toki Blah, a former IAS officer, while expressing deep concern over
the state of affairs in the education sector, blamed the lack of an
overall development policy for the ills that have plagued the state.

"While everyone seems to be championing the cause of education, no one
appears to be bothered about how capital and social assets should be
maintained," he rued.

Blah also questioned the education sector by saying: "Education for
whom? For the minister? Government? Social organisations? Or is
education primarily for the target group — the students?"

"We seem to be in a confused state. Different issues relating to
education can be sorted out if we have an educational policy. The
question of prioritising issues is very important. We cannot have a
kneejerk approach while solving problems," Blah pointed out

On Shillong being the educational hub of the Northeast, Blah said:
"When we talk about the education hub, it should not only be meant for
producing certificate holders. It should be directly linked with
livelihood," adding "Politics has taken a front seat in everything".

Education minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh, who is also a former
educationalist, maintained that Shillong is still an education hub of
the region. "The ICSE and the CBSE schools are still doing well while
the Meghalaya Board of School Education schools are trying to come up.
The quality of education has not gone down," Ampareen said.

She, however, said that Meghalaya's elementary school sector was
"weak" and lacked quality teachers. She said the main challenge before
the government was to empower elementary schools in the rural areas as
a means to bridge the urban-rural disparity.

She said the department was working towards bringing reforms in
education. "Change is something that is inevitable though people might
resist in the initial stages," she said, adding that the enactment of
the Right to Education Act had brought more responsibilities to the
government for ensuring quality education to children.

On the educational policy, she said the government needs to review
some of the components of the right to education policy.

Asked about teachers' agitation which have affected the functioning of
schools, the minister said: "The teachers have the right to protest on
issues which affect them. But we have also to ensure that while
dealing with such issues, quality of education is not compromised."