Arunachal Pradesh’s Education Minister, Pasang Dorjee Sona, is championing the merger of state-run schools with low enrollment as a strategic measure to enhance the public education system. Speaking during his visit to Yingkiong, the headquarters of Upper Siang district, Sona emphasized the importance of this initiative in improving educational quality and accessibility. “Our vision is to provide quality education to every child from the elementary level by consolidating primary schools,” Sona stated on Friday. “This approach will not only enhance infrastructure but also improve human resources and facilitate necessary interventions.” The minister’s comments follow a three-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ held by the Education Department in August, where various stakeholders deliberated on strategies to ensure quality education for every child in the state. Sona highlighted the mission to engage communities across districts to gather insights for the effective implementation of educational programs.
“We need to pursue the merging of schools as a mission for a brighter future for our students,” he asserted, stressing the shift from prioritizing quantity to focusing on the quality of education. Mutchu Mithi, advisor to the Education Minister, echoed this sentiment, stating that the goal should be to improve educational standards rather than merely increasing the number of schools. Duhon Tekseng, Deputy Director of School Education for Upper Siang, called for additional teaching staff, the introduction of a science stream at Mariyang Government Higher Secondary School, and the renovation of existing schools and teachers’ quarters.
In a previous assembly session in July, Minister Sona revealed that more than 600 schools in the state had either closed or merged. Arunachal Pradesh currently operates over 2,800 government-run schools at various levels, employing more than 7,600 regular teachers and over 5,900 teachers under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan program. However, the state faces a significant shortage of 414 trained graduate teachers and 186 postgraduate teachers, particularly in Maths and Science, according to official reports.
