With higher secondary schools bursting at the seams after an unprecedented spike in rural pass percentages, the Meghalaya government is racing against time to prevent a full-blown admission crisis. Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma on Thursday informed a bold, structured push to introduce morning classes across packed institutions, as Deputy Commissioners in every district have been tasked with urgent consultations with Head of various institutions to expand intake capacity. From fast-tracking upgrades in government schools to creating additional shifts, the state is pulling every lever to accommodate over 20,000 new students this academic year.
“Today our Commissioner Secretary Education is meeting all the head of the institutions in Shillong and suppose in North Garo Hills, last year the pass percentage was around 30 percent but this year it crossed 80 percent. Similarly in South Garo Hills it was 35 percent pass percentage but this year more than 88 percent, so the pressure will be there,” Sangma said.
He acknowledged that Shillong, where the pass percentage typically hovers between 70 and 80 percent, is less likely to face a severe crunch. “In Shillong it’s not a much problem since in Shillong we have 70–80 percent pass percentage every year, but in rural district it will be more problem,” he stated.
To manage the spike in student demand, Sangma said strategic consultations are underway with institutional heads and district authorities. “Our officers are meeting with all the heads of Institutions; I will be meeting with the Deputy Commissioners of different districts in Garo Hills maybe next week,” he said.
Outlining the government’s immediate steps, Sangma stressed on infrastructure upgradation and expansion of capacity. “We want to upgrade all the government secondary schools to the higher secondary schools. We are encouraging and motivating all the Grant–in–Aid institutions to upgrade facilities to increase more intake, introduce morning section. In some of the Government institutions we will introduce morning section,” he said.
He confirmed that all government secondary schools, barring four, have already been upgraded. “We are sorting out all these problem and going in a structured way, 20 thousand students will be additional this year, so we are working out modalities and formalities to absorb them. We are on the job that’s why we have stopped admission process in many of the institutions, after knowing that how many students will be absorbed in the districts,” Sangma said.
The minister emphasized that the government is considering flexible options to deal with capacity constraints in educational institutions. “We are meeting with the higher secondary schools, our Deputy Commissioners are meeting them. If the institutes are full why not introduce a morning section or a separate section with the additional teachers, so we are doing all the exercise,” he added.
Sangma also noted that district officials have been instructed to work closely with school heads to chart practical solutions. “We have instructed the Deputy Commissioners of different districts to sit with the head of institutions on how to work out for the increase in intake of students in that district. I will seek report on this and if needed I will sit with the Deputy Commissioner and the Education Department officials at Tura,” he said.