ADB releases fund for Meghalaya
Source: The Sangai Express / Ninglun Hanghal

New Delhi, October 01 2013: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) releases $100 million project fund for secondary and vocational training in Meghalaya.

Supporting Human Capital Development project in Meghalaya is ADB's first loan in India focusing on boosting education and skills.

An additional $2 million grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction will be used to strengthen the capacity of related state government departments, including education and labour, and non-government organizations to ensure the project reforms are sustained.

According to a release issued today by the ADB India office, the enrolment in secondary schools in Meghalaya is only 29.9%, compared with the national average of 45.5% .

Moreover, there is wide disparity in the quality of facilities and teaching between schools.

Of the 961 secondary schools in Meghalaya, 591 are government-aided private schools where 71% of the state's students are enrolled.

Most are from poor tribal families.

As these schools are not eligible for infrastructure support from the Government, their facilities are below national standards.

Around 60% of the state's secondary schools have no science laboratories and 72% have no separate toilets for girls.

Nearly 5,700 secondary school teachers do not have the required training.

At the same time, the state's technical and vocational institutions struggle to teach the skills the private sector needs, making it hard for youths to compete for formal jobs, particularly outside the state the release stated.

The project was funded to upgrade infrastructure and technology of 117 government-aided private secondary schools and provide laboratories, libraries, clean drinking water, computers, and separate toilets for girls and boys, as well as access for the physically-challenged.

It will also help the Meghalaya State Skill Development Society, the state-led body tasked to work with private institutions to improve vocational skills training, and with the Department of Labour to improve industrial training institutes.

Under the project around 3,500 under-qualified teachers will be trained and work with non-government organizations to raise awareness among poor, rural communities.

Around 60,000 youth, 40% of them girls, is expected to benefit from the project the released said.

Comment