Shillong: Meghalaya’s rural students face a widening crisis. Opposition parties claim systemic failures leave entire districts without government colleges and most schools without computers. The Voice of the People Party says the state forces poor families to pay a heavy price for distance.
Party leader Batskhem Myrboh pointed out that several districts lack a single government college. Remote blocks also lack higher secondary schools. Students must move to Shillong or Tura to get an education. Travel costs and hostel fees hit these families hard.
Myrboh argued that the government’s failure to provide local institutions has turned education into a financial burden, effectively limiting access for the state’s poorest students. He stated that the lack of local infrastructure remains a barrier to entry.
Digital access is just as bad. The Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee says only 19.7 percent of state schools have computers. This ranks among the lowest in India. Poor internet often blocks rural students from applying for competitive exams. One student even lost an IIT spot due to this lack of support.
The opposition also slammed the state for leaning on guidebooks instead of teaching. They warn that rural youth will remain trapped by a poverty tax until the government builds schools in neglected blocks. Geography currently matters more than merit in Meghalaya.
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