Education has always been an unending concern for Arunachal Pradesh for many years and almost each year during the months of May-June when the results of the Board exams come out, a strange despondency grips the state as pass percentages come out to be alarmingly low. A sense of regret and frustration touches not only the examinees but also every section of society and there seems to be no break from this unstoppable trend. But there are also initiatives that are going side by side to come out from this vicious cycle which deserves appreciation. These are the arrangements of felicitation programmes for toppers of the board examinations by the administrations of the districts with wide media publicity and also initiatives of various students’ unions to explore the substantial   causes which are contributing to the mess.
The primary intention behind these felicitations is to adequately honour the student for the hard work he or she had employed throughout the academic year. But the underlying idea carries a futuristic and progressive vision, which is to influence and encourage the coming year batches to reach this level when prestige and glory awaits in equal measures. During the last few weeks, the district authorities had been doing exactly that which demands applause. When these strategies of the administration are drawing appreciation, the fact finding missions of various students’ unions during recent past also merit kudos particularly the on-going one initiated by the Galo Students’ Union. They have been quite methodical in their approach and are ascertaining the causes from the ground level with interaction with the BEOs, Principals and Headmasters of the schools, which had performed pretty poorly  and also the parents and students. And among the host of factors which have emerged and are contributing to this sorry state of affairs, the foremost seem to be shortage of teachers and lack of school infrastructures. There are also absenteeism, irregularity and insincerity on the part of a section of teachers and deviation from the laid out rules to be followed in transfers and postings, all needing immediate attention. Although these are feedbacks primarily from Galo inhabited areas, few would perhaps differ from the fact that they are by and large, the same all across the state.
Education is one of the most powerful instruments for reducing poverty and inequality.
It is a concern which is pervasive all across the Arunachalee society today and it would be appreciable if the government acts in a more proactive fashion, taking into confidence all stakeholders from all sections of society. With a collaborative approach, positive results must trickle in within a short span of time.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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