SHILLONG, APR 24: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has sought the intervention of the education minister Rakkam A Sangma into the need for overall improvement of the education system in West Khasi Hills district.
In a memorandum to Sangma, President of the KSU Nongstoin Circle Willbest Wanniang said that the West Khasi Hills District with Nongstoin as its headquarter and being one of the oldest districts which was carved out of the Khasi Hills District since 1976 witnessed huge drawbacks significantly in fields of education.
“We therefore urge the government to establish a government college to address the aspiration of the youth of the region,” he said.
Also requesting the minister’s intervention for immediate completion and inauguration of the Nongstoin Polytechnic, Wanniang said that the foundation stone for the project was laid way back in 2017 at Mawrusyiar, Nongstoin and partial construction was completed. However, the construction was halted with no indication of resumption of work. Quality higher education in the district has been ignored for many decades.
He said the union also urged the education minister to address the problems faced by the only Sibsingh Memorial Government Higher Secondary School, which was set up in 1976. According to them, the institution consists of only arts and science stream and the absence of commerce stream restrict students to opt for this stream of study adding that families having financial difficulty trust upon government institutions for gaining education and unavailability of the said stream compel students to go with their less desirable streams.
On the need for introduction of more trades in ITI, Nongstoin, the KSU president said that since the government has implemented different life skill programme and training through Industrial Training Institute (ITI), a lot of young people have benefitted from it. However, the ITI Nongstoin needs to be upgraded with more trades as there are approximately only four trades in which many other important trades required by the youths are lacking.
The KSU has also requested the state government to increase the seats at the District Institute of Education & Training (DIET) at Nongstoin in order to provide adequate opportunities for aspiring teachers. The training centre is catering to three districts – West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills and Eastern West Khasi Hills with an intake capacity of only 50 seats.
It also asked the government to take swift action in declaring the results for the recruitment to the sanctioned posts at Nongstoin College, the advertisements of which were released in 2022 and interviews being conducted in 2023. The delay in the release of the results of lecturers and other posts have affected the smooth functioning of the college and particularly the students of the college.
 has sought the intervention of the education minister Rakkam A Sangma into the need for overall improvement of the education system in West Khasi Hills district.){kind=link}