Northeast Desk, 9th September: Meghalaya’s Education Minister, Rakkam A. Sangma, recently addressed the state’s ongoing challenges with literacy, acknowledging that despite being slightly above the national average, the literacy rate remains unsatisfactory. Sangma pointed out that the Jaintia Hills district has the lowest literacy rate in the state, emphasizing the need for focused efforts to improve education standards in these underperforming regions.
Speaking about the Ministry of Education’s request for states to define “literacy” and “full literacy,” Sangma admitted that he was not currently in possession of the required document but reaffirmed the state’s commitment to improving literacy rates. He stressed that the government will work towards adopting a mission-mode approach to address these issues, drawing attention to the significant dropout rates at the primary and secondary levels.
The minister cited poverty and the vast distances between schools as key barriers to achieving higher literacy. With 24-25% of the state’s population reportedly illiterate, Sangma expressed determination to bring substantial change in the coming two to three years, particularly in the state’s most affected regions. He also urged the people of Meghalaya to collaborate in tackling these educational challenges.
A review meeting has been planned to assess the current situation, and the government is set to implement measures aimed at increasing literacy and reducing dropout rates across the state.