Shillong: A recent study revealed a significant imbalance in the number of schools compared to the population size in Meghalaya, raising concerns about the education sector’s efficiency in the state.
Despite having a smaller population than Tripura, Meghalaya hosts 14,582 schools, in stark contrast to Tripura’s 4,929 schools.
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Among these, 7,783 are government schools, and 4,172 are aided schools, employing a total of 55,160 teachers.
For perspective, Manipur, with a similar population, operates only 4,617 schools.
Nationally, aided schools comprise less than 5 per cent of the total, whereas in Meghalaya, the proportion soars to 29 per cent.
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In comparison, Kerala, with a population roughly ten times larger (3.34 crore per the 2011 Census), has only 15,864 schools. Similarly, Himachal Pradesh, which faces tougher terrain than Meghalaya, manages 17,826 schools for its 68.64 lakh population.
The study highlights an alarming disparity in student enrolment, with many schools reporting extremely low attendance.
Data indicates 206 schools have no students, while 2,269 schools have single-digit enrolment. Deficit and ad hoc schools face similar issues, with eight schools having zero students and 141 reporting single-digit enrolment.
Among SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) schools, 30 schools have zero enrolments and 268 have fewer than ten students. Government schools are not exempt, with 11 schools reporting zero students and 132 others having enrolment in single digits.
One of the primary reasons cited for this disproportionate figure is the practice of counting a single school multiple times.
According to the study, private schools often apply for multiple government grants, inflating the data.
When adjusted to eliminate duplicate entries, the state’s 6,702 schools can be consolidated into 3,029 unique institutions, reducing the actual number of schools to 10,867, the report stated.