Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma on Tuesday informed that he would be chairing a meeting of the Meghalaya Higher Education Council on August 10, where the issue related to the implementation of the new National Education Policy (NEP) will also be deliberated.
Addressing media persons after a meeting with the delegation of the HYC, Sangma said the meeting will also be attended by officials from the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) and heads of institutions. He said the meeting will also deliberate on the NEP.
Sangma said that the state government had already asked for a written reply from institutions across the state whether they are ready to implement the NEP but majority of them have expressed that they are not ready to do so.
He said NEHU is going ahead with the implementation of the NEP as per their notification and the State has very limited role here. “However, we have already requested them (NEHU) not to force our institutions while implementing NEP.”
The education minister informed that the State has also requested the NEHU Vice Chancellor to convene a meeting with the heads of all institutions and to discuss at length and provide handholding to such institutions for NEP implementation.
He said that Meghalaya should not be left behind as we have the potential to go ahead. “Certainly we have challenges but if Meghalaya is left out, it will not sound good.”
On Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association (MCTA)’s decision of boycotting the first semester classes as a mark of protest against NEHU’s impassive attitude to implement NEP, Sangma said, “I would be happy if MCTA have a meeting with the heads of institutions and discuss and find a way forward.”
According to him, students should not be affected as they are the centre of attention to the government.
He also agreed that many institutions will be left out if hybrid mode of NEP is implemented. Sangma said, “Therefore, let the heads of the institutions and NEHU discuss the matter in threadbare. The future of our students is priority of all institutions.”