Shillong, Oct 25: The Khasi Students Union (KSU),South Khasi Hills District Unit (SKHDU) met the Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui to demand the education department’s intervention concerning the lack of quality higher education institutions in Sohra, East Khasi Hills District.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Riches Malngiang the vice president said that they have emphasised that the Education Minister should introduce Science and Commerce in Sohra Government College and set up a Higher Secondary School at the Khatar Shnong area.
According to Malngiang, as of now, there is only an Arts stream at the Sohra Government College, further stating that Khatar Shnong areas need a Higher Secondary School as at the moment there are only two secondary schools in the area.
“Sohra being the torch bearer of formal education in our state, after the introduction of the Khasi alphabet in 1842 by Rev Thomas Jones, this region consists of more than 200 villages and with a population of around 90,000 and being the only region in our State with two Teachers training Centre (it deserves to receive a facelift in education). Moreover it is a region with 3 matriculation examination centre which cater to more than 2000 candidates appearing in the SSLC examination and 1 HSSLC Examination Centre. It is also the leading Sub-division when it comes to the passing percentage of the students appearing in the above-mentioned examinations as compared to other Sub-divisions in the State. However, this region has been swarmed with multiple issues particularly in the field of higher education that hasn’t been addressed by the Government. As there are only 8 Higher Secondary Schools (Including Sohra Government College and one College) and also has the high percentage of drop outs after completion of their SSLC examination and out of 2000 students appearing for the matriculation examination usually more than 1500 clear the examination and only 10% further their Higher Secondary studies in Shillong or other places in the State and the rest are compelled to either discontinued their studies, or to seek admission in the institutions present in the region. Also these 8 Higher Secondary institutions that are present in the region cater only upto 450-500 number of seats for the aspiring students”, read the memorandum submitted by the KSU to the education minister.
“Only 2 institutions offer seats for the Science Stream (i.e Ramakrishna Mission H/S School, Sohra and Sohra Academy H/S School) and 2 institutions (i.e St John Bosco Boys H/S School, Sohra & St Edmund H/S School, Mawrong) for the Commerce Stream in the region, with the closure of Mawmluh Cherra Cement Limited and legal regulations of stone quarrying and sand mining, these have taken a toll on the majority of the people in this region, and ultimately affect the financial capacity of many families to send their children for higher education in Shillong”, said the memorandum.
The memorandum further stated that the Khatarshnong area which consists of 40 villages and a population of around 10,000, is a very remote area of the Sohra Civil Sub-division and fall within the jurisdiction of Khatarshnong-Laitkroh Block. It is an area which lack proper road connectivity, where most of the population rely on broomstick cultivation as their main source of livelihood. Moreover it is an area which consists of 36 Lower Primary Schools, 14 Upper Primary Schools and only 2 Secondary school and till date there is no Higher secondary school in the area. The students who can afford to further their Higher education after SSLC can opt for either a Higher Secondary school present in Mawrong or those at Sohra, whereas those who cannot afford are being compelled to depart from their ambition for Higher education considering their financial incapacity and lack of opportunities to access higher education that can be avail by them, the future of the students has always been neglected, their ambition detracted and approaches by the Government leave a lot to be desired by the people in this area.
