State Education Policy to Plug Loopholes

State Education Policy to Plug Loopholes

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya government has newly adopted an education policy to debar teachers of government schools and government-aided schools from taking part in political activities and political associations. It has been done with the objective of providing quality education to the students.

The policy (copy available with The Sentinel) stated, “So far as education is concerned, schools should be kept free from politics. For this purpose, government and government-aided school teachers will be barred from taking part in political activities and political associations”.

It is a known fact that numerous school teachers are involved in politics through their direct association with political parties, election campaigns and some of them even take leave to contest the elections and returned back to the teaching profession. It is on this ground the new policy has been framed, stated the Minister in-charge of education Lakmen Rymbui during an interaction with a correspondent on Thursday. “ How can a teacher focus in providing quality education to the students when they have other affiliated commitments to political groups,” stated Rymbui.

Besides the government schools, there are the deficit schools which are partially funded by the government and other schools that run with grant or aid and have their own managing committees. The government has no say in the management of such schools. Asked on this, the minister while admitting to the existence of such practices categorically stated that “the financial aid will be stopped to such institutions who fail to adhere to the policy which we have collectively envisage and vow to implement it.”

Going by the education policy, a number of reforms have been illustrated through the Meghalaya Education Policy to put in place a proper management structure for education in the State. Education administrators will have a separate cadre and their roles, responsibilities and recruitment procedures will be decided in consultations with the three directorates and other key departments of the Government, stated the Policy, an exercise that will put to rest the burgeoning appointment by the managing committees of schools run by religious institutions, Village Councils and others.

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