Why do the majority of the school students in Meghalaya dislike the subjects – Mathematics and Science? Well, it could be due to various reasons like solving nerve-racking problems or formulas and trying to make sense of science theories.
But that is where the challenge lies – it’s about how well you can solve problems. Needless to say, maths and science are vital to understanding how the world works.
Probably, this is one of the reasons why the Meghalaya government has decided to once again make science and mathematics mandatory subjects in the school educational curriculum from 2025.
According to the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBoSE) rules in 2016, a student must clear five out of the six subjects in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) exams, making maths and science non-compulsory subjects – which means a student is considered passed if he/she meets the criterion, even if the failed subject is maths or science.
This decision sure did provide the much-needed relief for students who are weak in maths and science but at the same time, weakened their prospects, belittling the importance of the subjects and discouraging their progress in school education.
Because of this decision, the number of students taking up maths and science has decreased tremendously in the last ten years, as admitted by the Director of Meghalaya Administrative Training Institute Ram Kumar S, who lamented this current state of abjection.
While most students prefer a maths or science-free course, a few still have love and interest for the subjects.
“The only thing that comes between you and your dream is fear – either be fearless or dreamless. It’s simple — if you study, it is easy, if you don’t, it’s hard. Yes, I want to take science after my 10th grade. I aim to become a doctor,” said a student of St. Anthony Higher Secondary School, Shillong.
Similarly, a student of St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School considers Science as her favorite subject. “When I was a kid, I also used to love maths but now my interest has changed and because I am into sports, music, and other extracurricular activities, I would skip maths classes and lose out on lectures – hence making it difficult for me to understand the concept of different formulas and theories. But science is different. I love Science. Biology is at the top,” she said.
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According to her, explanation also matters – how a teacher explains also determines the chances of students developing an interest in the subject.
Another student of this school refers to maths as an interesting subject. “If we understand the concept, then learning and practise is fun but if we don’t understand, it gets frustrating. Through maths, we learn new things and exercise our brain more often,” she stated.
Meanwhile, teachers and principals of different schools in Shillong are worried about this lack of interest in maths and science among students.
“In the past when mathematics was a compulsory subject, interest among students was also high because it is an interesting subject but ever since it became an optional subject, the interest is lost,” a maths teacher Sarmio Pohchen said.
He said, as teachers, they try their level best to teach maths in an interesting manner by adopting unconventional methods because it is important to make students understand the importance of maths in our lives – even if you apply for a job, maths is required.
Another maths teacher Poromita Chakraborty said this subject helps students to be more analytical and logical. “If you love the subject, it will love you back. We do need maths; we cannot deny that. Yes, it was a relief for many students after maths was not made compulsory but over a period of time, we have noticed that the interest among students has drastically gone down,” she said.
“I personally feel that maths helps you to be more analytical; you can assess the situation much better because you have a more logical thought process – thereby helping you to face the challenges of life better than most,” she remarked.
Sr. Sonia Chacko, the Principal of St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School, is of the collective view that mathematics must be part of the curriculum but flexibility must be ensured – like the introduction of different mathematics courses that can cater to students with varying interests and career aspirations.
“We believe mathematics helps students foster analytical and logical thinking; it enhances problem-solving skills. We are also aware that for some students, mathematics can be stressful and can also negatively impact their overall performance and mental well-being but, I think implementing measures such as differentiating instruction support systems, innovative teaching tools, real-world application assessment reforms, mental health support, etc. can improve the education system,” Sr. Chacko said.
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Similarly, Fr. Anthony Kharkongor, Principal of St. Anthony School, observed that making maths optional only limits the students’ career opportunities besides constraining and preventing them from developing or fostering a competitive spirit.
“In my opinion, making maths an optional subject will not bring a better future for our Khasi students. Believe it or not, maths is extremely important as it plays a vital role in the future of students — be it a job or competitive exams, we cannot escape maths,” he said.
One of the reasons why the government decided to make these subjects optional was probably to address the high dropout rate in the state as it would seem – students drop out of schools because of maths and science.
“My advice is that we should revamp the syllabus — we don’t need to give hard sums to students, but we can just give them a basic idea of maths — from Nursery to Class 10,” Fr. Kharkongor observed.
The fact that Meghalaya has failed to produce a single tribal IAS and IPS officer since 2013 is a matter of concern for the state and many feel that decisions like these could only spell disaster for the future of the youth, academically – fortunately, the government has decided to revert to the old system and make maths and science compulsory subjects.
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