Guwahati: At 59, Sylvester Shadap is preparing to return to the examination hall—37 years after he dropped out of school.

Shadap, from Thadrang Umngem village in Ri Bhoi district, is the oldest among 9,767 former school dropouts who have registered as private candidates for the December 2026 Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination under Meghalaya’s Second Chance Learning Programme.

He left school in 1989 and, for years, believed that his opportunity to continue his education had passed.

“I dropped out of school in 1989, so it has been approximately 37 years since then. Honestly, I knew within myself that coming back for further studies was over,” Shadap said.

But he has now decided to take the SSLC examination, not only to complete his own education but also to encourage younger members of his family and other school dropouts to return to learning.

“Returning for the SSLC examination is to set an example for all the adolescents, starting from my own family,” he said.

The return to studies after nearly four decades has not been easy. Shadap said adapting to the present curriculum has been one of his biggest challenges after such a long break from formal education.

“Despite this, the goal is that I will work hard for this exam,” he said.

Shadap’s story is among thousands emerging from Meghalaya’s Second Chance Learning Programme, which has opened a route back to formal education for people who left school for various reasons.

The 9,767 registered candidates include adolescents, young adults and older learners from all 12 districts of the state. The programme has no upper age limit for those appearing for the SSLC examination as private candidates.

The initiative is jointly implemented by the Meghalaya government, the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) and the Meghalaya Programme for Adolescent Wellbeing, Empowerment and Resilience (MPOWER).

Instead of requiring former dropouts to return to conventional full-time schooling, the programme provides them with an opportunity to prepare for the SSLC examination through designated learning and assessment centres.

There are 171 notified centres across Meghalaya. Ri Bhoi district has registered 690 candidates, including 185 learners at the Mawlasnai centre.

The programme caters to people whose education was disrupted by financial hardship, family responsibilities, migration, early marriage, geographical barriers and other circumstances.

For Shadap, however, the December examination represents more than an academic milestone. It is a second attempt at something he had once considered impossible.

If he clears the SSLC examination, he will have the opportunity to pursue further education, vocational training or skills-based courses—decades after leaving school.

His return to the examination system also puts a human face on Meghalaya’s effort to give former school dropouts a second chance at education.