Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 144/12

CM LAUNCHES PRE SERVICE DIPLOMA IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION COURSE

Shillong, 23 April: Dr Mukul Sangma, Chief Minister, Meghalaya, launched the Two Years Diploma in Elementary Education for Pre- Services in the districts of East, West and South Garo Hills at the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Rongkhon, Tura.

The Diploma in Elementary Education or D.El.Ed course is a two years professional regular course for teachers of elementary (primary and upper primary) level. The course is conducted in DIETs established in all the districts of Meghalaya. Previously, the in-service teachers were deputed to the DIETs to clear off the back-log of an enormous number of untrained teachers along with some number of pre-service who joined in. But from this year the government has approved to provide stipend for students intending to become teachers. These student-teachers, fulfilling certain criterion are selected and listed out on merit basis.

Smt L.R. Sangma, IAS, Secretary, Education, in her speech said that the state needs to revamp its educational policies to fit in to the requirements of Right to Education Act (RTE). There is a need to upgrade the skills of teachers especially at the elementary level. She informed that there is a paucity of trained teachers at the lower primary level and the pre-services training would create a reserve of trained elementary teachers for the recruitment process, besides conforming to the RTE Act that provides that only persons possessing minimum qualifications shall be eligible to be employed as teachers.

Speaking at the occasion Shri Pravin Bakshi, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, West Garo Hills, Tura, said the launch of the course is a landmark effort on the part of the government to provide quality education to our children. C&RD Minister,

Shri Saleng Sangma lamented that teachers sometimes make a mockery of the education system. He informed that the government is keen on absorbing knowledgeable, dedicated and sincere teachers so that education is not denied even to the poorest of the poor.

Dr Mukul Sangma, in his address expressed his happiness to launch the programme which has been pending for a couple of years. He said that there is a serious problem of our youth who are incapable of competing with the rest of the country, the root cause being the deficiency at the elementary education. This deficiency is also creating a huge gap between the urban and the rural educated youth, he said. He urged the teachers of the institution to imbibe in the student-teachers the quality to become successful teachers. The Chief Minister informed that education has the highest allocation of 1500 crores and the state government has been able to provide the state share for all flagship programmes of the central government. He said that as education is the largest job provider the facility of such trainings would be extended to the sub-divisional and block levels. He implored upon the institutions to work expeditiously to bridge the gap between supply and demand of trained teachers. He added that Meghalaya is considered as the centre of education but the state has not been able to optimally exploit the opportunity. There is no room for complacency, thus all areas of deficiency will be addressed, he said.

Among others present at the launch were Shri Ismail Marak, Parliamentary Secretary, Shri P. K. Sangma, CEM, GHADC, Shri C.C.M. Mihsil, IAS, Director, Educational Research and Training, besides teacher trainees from the three districts.