New school building​

SHILLONG, JUNE 8: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has stated that schools should be able to meet the educational needs of the students and called upon the communities and particularly the parents to be alert and assertive on the quality of education that is being given to the children to enable them to reach their full potentialities.

He was addressing the gathering as the chief guest after inaugurating the new school building of Garudachal Vidyapeeth Secondary School at Ghasura, Ampati in the presence to the Deputy Commissioner Cyril V.D. Diengdoh, Superintendent of Police, Bobby W. Momin, local leaders and gaonburas, officials of Education department, school managing committee members, teachers, parents and the students, among others.

The new school building was constructed under Chief Minister’s Special Rural Development Fund (CMSRDF) at a total cost of Rs.22 lakh. It may
be mentioned that the school was established in 2004 and the first batch of its students have appeared for SSLC examinations for the first time this year.

The Chief Minister expressed his happiness that the government could respond to the requirement of the school managing committee adding
that it was “part of our commitment of taking care of the generation next.” He said that many schools across the state have been established through the collective efforts of the communities and commended the people who have made tremendous contribution in maintaining the school overcoming all the hurdles. The school is yet to get grant-in aid from the government.

While expressing his deep appreciation to communities who have made collective efforts to establish schools, the Chief Minister, however was upset over the dismal performance of the district in the last SSLC examination. Holding the teachers, school managing committees as well as the
parents responsible for the failure, he said unless one is committed, one should not participate in the affairs of education.

“We should not  ​compromise on the quality of education, we should not compromise on the future of our children”, he added and announced a special intervention being made to improve the pass percentage of the students.

On the memorandum submitted to him by the SMC for government intervention to the problems of the school, the Chief Minister said that once a community establishes a school and the government chips in to help, the community slowly starts withdrawing.

“This is the challenge that the state has been facing all along, he said, adding, “We have become a community which is not self-assisting, we need to change our approach and take care of our needs.”

Earlier, South West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Cyril Diengdoh in his brief address, said that education is a foundation on which a society is built and commended the founders for establishing the school which has been catering to needs of students from almost 15 villages near Ampati.

Principal of the School, Ratan Roy, Gaonbura of Ghasura Gopal Kishore Koch and SMC President Uttam Kumar Hajong were among others who also spoke on the occasion.