Shillong, Sept 8: The Ministry of Education (MoE) of India recently wrote to all states, requesting them to define literacy and full literacy. Following this, Meghalaya’s Education Minister Rakkam A. Sangma acknowledged that although the department might have received the letter, he was not currently in possession of it.
Sangma stated, “In our state, we are slightly above the national average in terms of literacy, but it is not up to the mark. Our state should have been fully 100 percent literate by now. We will work to achieve the target.”
The minister further acknowledged that some districts are performing better than others, while expressing uncertainty over why Jaintia Hills has the lowest literacy rate in the state. “I don’t know the exact reason, but we will definitely find out. Whether it’s a real issue or a data discrepancy, we will call for a review meeting to ascertain the reason and take steps to address it. This is my promise. I urge everyone to work together to make Meghalaya a 100 percent literate state.”
When asked how the department plans to address the issue, Sangma explained, “We will study the literacy rate district-wise. We need to understand the challenges, which may vary from district to district, and find the appropriate solutions.”
Regarding comparisons with states like Kerala and Mizoram, Sangma admitted, “I’m not sure why it’s happening. I’m a one-year-old minister, but it’s a serious concern for me. Mizoram is not much different from Meghalaya in terms of roads, communication, and system – we are both tribal states. Meghalaya is a bit behind, but I think we can adopt a mission-mode approach and work faster to catch up.”
When informed that about 24-25 percent of the state’s population is reportedly illiterate, Sangma responded, “Yes, as per the record, it is a bit shocking. However, I’m not sure how accurate the data is. We need to find out if it’s a data issue or a practical reality. There may be reasons like poverty, distance from schools, or other challenges, but we will investigate and call for a review meeting soon.”
On the issue of high dropout rates, the minister expressed optimism: “The dropout rates are primarily in the primary and secondary levels. In primary, it might be due to double enrolment, especially because we don’t have enough pre-primary schools. Many children registered as Class One students may actually be in pre-primary, so the data may show a high dropout rate inaccurately.”
He added, “At the secondary level, we see around a 20-30 percent pass rate. To address this, we’ve adopted policies like twice-yearly board exams and remedial classes under the CM Impact Programme. These initiatives are student- and teacher-friendly, and I’m confident that in the next two or three years, we will see positive results.”
The MoE defines literacy as the ability to read, write, and compute with comprehension, along with acquiring critical life skills such as digital and financial literacy. Full literacy is defined as a state or union territory achieving a 95% literacy rate.
