Shillong, June 2: The State Education Mission Authority of Meghalaya (SEMAM), under Samagra Shiksha, in collaboration with Indus Action, organised a four-day sensitisation and training programme for education stakeholders from all 12 districts of the state.
Held from May 27 to 30 at the DERT Annexe, Shillong, the programme focused on the effective implementation of Section 12(1)(c) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
The inaugural session was attended by key education officials, including the Secretary of the Education Department and State Project Director of SEMAM, the Director of School Education and Literacy and Deputy State Project Director of SEMAM, and the Officer on Special Duty for Samagra Shiksha.
Participants included District School Education Officers, Sub-Divisional School Education Officers, District and Block Mission Coordinators, and MIS Coordinators, supported by a team of resource persons from Indus Action.
In his keynote address, the Secretary highlighted the mandate under Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act, which requires private unaided (non-minority) schools to reserve at least 25% of seats in Class I for children from economically weaker sections (EWS) and disadvantaged groups (DG). These groups include Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, children affected by HIV, orphans, and others. He emphasised that inclusive education promotes social equity, helping eliminate stigma and build solidarity among children from diverse backgrounds.
The Director of School Education and Literacy noted that implementing this provision will benefit many underprivileged families across the state, ensuring their children can access quality education without facing financial barriers. He called on all stakeholders—including education officials, private schools, parents, and communities—to work together in ensuring the successful rollout of RTE Section 12(1)(c).
To facilitate this, the state has launched the RTE Meghalaya Portal, designed to centralise the application and registration process. The portal aims to streamline student admissions, school registrations, and departmental monitoring, while also improving transparency, administrative efficiency, and grievance redressal.
