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Shillong, June 27: The Meghalaya government wanted status quo to be maintained in respect of Hindi language which is being taught in schools from Classes-V to VIII, and decided to take up with the Centre to make teachers education institutions as extended campuses of different colleges in the state.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui to discuss on the draft National Education Policy (NEP), 2019 on Thursday. The last date to submit views and opinions on the draft NEP is June 30.

After the meeting, Rymbui told reporters that the state government after examining the policy has taken the views and opinions of various religious minority institutions to understand issues that are affecting them too.

“Though the policy is found to be very futuristic and it will really change the education system in the entire country, but there are various issues that the state government will have to take up with the Centre. We will talk to the Government of India in respect of the language policy that status quo should be maintained because as per the proposed draft, major language (Hindi) should be made compulsory till secondary level, whereas at present, this subject is being taught from classes-V to VIII,” Rymbui said.

He also assured that the state government will not implement anything that will affect the state considering the fact that education falls under the concurrent list.

The minister also informed that the state government will take up with the Centre on the concern expressed by the religious minority institutions with regards to the failure of the 448-pages draft NEP to mention about the Christian minority schools and also about the role of the school sponsoring bodies or school managing committees in the state.

“We cannot deny the fact that in Meghalaya, religious minority institutions have played a very important role in changing the education landscape in our state,” he said.

On teacher’s education, he said the meeting discussed on the proposal of the Centre that standalone institutions should be done away with, meaning that the B.Ed college at Tura and the seven District Institute of Education and Training (DIETs) will have to be closed down.

“Since the policy of the Centre is silent on the role of these DIETs which are standalone institutions, we have decided to propose whether these institutions can be made as extended campuses of different colleges in the state,” Rymbui said.

According to him, each DIET is having around 17 teachers and if the policy is to be implemented, where will these teachers go and what steps can be taken to rehabilitate them.

The minister said to his understanding, the B.Ed course will be integrated with other courses in the colleges which means, the degree courses will be of four years.

“In view of this, we have decided to convert the B.Ed course into a four year degree course in the Kiang Nangbah Government College, Jowai. The 10+2 will be shifted to the building constructed earlier at Mynthong locality for the B.Ed college, since the NCTE has refused to grant permission for new B.Ed colleges,” Rymbui informed.

He also informed that the state government will seek more clarity on the decision of the Centre to have pre-nursery and upgrading schools.

“We need to think how to take care about the secondary level which will be from classes 9 to 12 since as per the draft NEP, all schools will have to be till class 12. Then who will fund to upgrade these schools from class X to class XII? These are some of the issues we as a state government wanted the Centre to look into,” he said.

Rymbui said the state which is facing financial crisis will also have to examine as to how it can provide the required infrastructure to the schools if the age for schooling has to start from 3 years. “We need funds and this is going to be a big challenge for us,” he added.