Shillong, June 16: Concerned over the poor performance of the state in the Performance Grading Index (PGI) report, released by the Centre recently, the Khasi Students Union (KSU) has urged the state government to take measures for improving the education system in the state.

In a memorandum to the Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Wednesday, KSU Education Cell chairman, Raymond Kharjana said for the third consecutive year, Meghalaya is the only state to remain in Grade V and this clearly goes to show that the state’s education system is not at all robust and neither is showing any signs of improvements.

“The Government of Meghalaya has to take sincere efforts in determining that the education system of the state is uplifted,” Kharjana added.

Highlighting some of the key factors which need to be addressed by the state government, the chairman said schools and colleges need proper infrastructure.

“It is shocking to see the condition of most schools in rural parts of the State which doesn’t seem anything like a school but more like an animal stable to be bluntly put.

Such issues have been address time and again but very little initiative has been taken by the Government that too after a long delay,” he said.

Kharjana said some of the schools in rural areas has been rebuild and sponsored by the Union because the Government is lacking the spine to the necessary and it is impracticable that students study in such downtrodden conditions.

Stating that the plight of the teachers in the state is deplorable, he said often it is seen that teachers are out on the streets to protest for their rights.

Most of the teacher’s salary doesn’t get to them in time and it take months which makes the teachers to get another alternative work to sustain their family, hence not being able to give the proper attention to the students.

He further suggested that the government has to reach every corner in the rural areas to set up schools and colleges.

According to him, there are still many areas in the state which doesn’t have schools and students are to travel long distance to reach schools.

Also stating that the school curricula are framed with some aims and objectives to cater to the needs of individual student and the society as a whole, Kharjana however said but, in Meghalaya the government machinery is slow in identifying social needs and fixing the aims and objectives; designing the curriculum in a proactive manner and time bound implementation of the curriculum.

With this pandemic, the state education system which is already crippled is facing more difficulties. The need for online education and classes has made matter worse, especially for those living in the rural areas, which doesn’t have access to smartphones nor internet connectivity, he stated.