More than 3,300 Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) schools across the state have formally expressed their willingness to come under direct government management. The Meghalaya SSA Schools Association (MSSASA) on Wednesday confirmed that applications from thousands of schools have already reached the state education department, marking a crucial step towards restructuring the management of elementary education in the state. According to MSSASA president Aristotle Rymbai, of the total applications received, 3,034 schools are presently run by local communities, while 298 schools are managed by religious bodies or private organisations. The latter group has already provided No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the education department, signaling their readiness to hand over full management responsibilities to the government. “This is an encouraging step as many institutions feel that state management will ensure stability in administration and bring uniformity in the functioning of schools,” Rymbai told reporters after a meeting with the commissioner and secretary of the education department.
One of the long-standing concerns of SSA teachers has been the absence of a structured pay scale. Highlighting this issue, the MSSASA president said the association has demanded that the government introduce a proper pay structure at the earliest. “We are satisfied that the education department has already made progress. A proposal on the pay scale has been prepared and after the Assembly session, it will be placed before the finance department. From there, the final approval will lie with the state cabinet,” Rymbai explained. At present, Meghalaya has a total of 5,131 SSA schools, which include both lower primary (LP) and upper primary (UP) institutions. Many of these schools are spread across rural and remote areas of the state, playing a vital role in providing education to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.The state government has also started the rationalisation process to improve the functioning of both SSA and government schools. In several districts, teachers from schools with single-digit enrolment are being redeployed to schools with higher student strength, ensuring that teacher resources are better utilised.
Educationists believe that bringing SSA schools under direct state management will not only improve accountability but also help in streamlining teacher recruitment, training, and service conditions. Parents, especially in rural communities, have also welcomed the move, expressing hope that government intervention will improve facilities, infrastructure, and quality of teaching in these schools. The MSSASA, while acknowledging the positive steps taken so far, has urged the government to expedite the process so that both teachers and students benefit without delay. “Our ultimate goal is to secure the future of the children of Meghalaya and to ensure that teachers are treated with dignity and fairness,” Rymbai said.