Shillong, March 20: Almost one lakh students have dropped out of schools in Meghalaya in the last four years, the Meghalaya government informed the state assembly today. There were 17,299 students who dropped out in 2016-17, according to the Education and Literacy Minister Deborah C Marak. Marak told the assembly that the main cause for school dropout was the families’ economic conditions of the parents, deficient in small habitation, domestic sibling care and migration, adding that the number of dropouts in 2013-14 was 33,557. In 2014-15 it was 31,276 while the following year the number went down to 14,957 and last year it was 17,299. Education and Literacy Minister Deborah C. Marak said the government set up training centres, programmes and initiatives to bring the students back to school, by setting up special training centres through various programs and initiatives. One of the programmes initiated was the effort to try and improve the quality of teachers’ education and introducing a flexible timing at the training centres for those children who cannot attend school during the day time, Marak said. Marak also said that the government has also made sure to translate the training modules to local languages to promote a better teaching and learning experience in the lower primary levels even as textbook-free, midday meals and provide teaching and learning methods were provided free of cost. Stressing on importance of education, efforts are also being taken to create community awareness on importance of education for the future of every child, wherein an enrolment drives is also conducted on world literacy day and children residing in difficult regions were provided transport and escort allowances, she said.
