As many as 9,767 former school dropouts in Meghalaya have registered as private candidates for the upcoming Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination, giving them an opportunity to complete their Class 10 education. The examination is scheduled to be held in December 2026.
The registrations have been made under the state’s Second Chance Learning Programme, a joint initiative of the Meghalaya government, the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) and the Meghalaya Programme for Adolescent Wellbeing, Empowerment and Resilience (MPOWER).
The programme provides an alternative route for learners who had discontinued their formal education. Candidates can prepare for and appear in the SSLC examination without having to return to a conventional full-time school.
No Upper Age Limit For Candidates
Registrations have been received from all 12 districts of Meghalaya. The programme is open to adolescents, young adults and older learners, with no upper age limit for appearing in the examination.
The oldest registered candidate is 59-year-old Sylvester Shadap from Thadrang Umngem village in Ri Bhoi district. He left school in 1989 and is now preparing to appear for the Class 10 examination nearly four decades later.
Shadap said financial difficulties and family responsibilities had led him to discontinue his education. He is now preparing to complete his Class 10 education and hopes his return to studies will encourage others who had left school to resume their education.
The programme has established 171 notified learning and assessment centres across Meghalaya. Ri Bhoi district has 690 registered candidates, while 185 learners are registered at the Mawlasnai centre.
The initiative is aimed at learners whose education was interrupted because of circumstances such as financial difficulties, family responsibilities, migration, early marriage or geographical barriers.
MBOSE is responsible for the academic and examination framework, while MPOWER supports activities including community mobilisation, mentoring, registration, learner tracking and follow-up.
The programme has also developed free self-study materials covering subjects including Khasi, Garo, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, English and Health.
After completing the SSLC examination, successful candidates will have opportunities to pursue higher secondary education, vocational education and skill development programmes. The initiative also reflects the National Education Policy 2020’s focus on flexible learning, inclusion and lifelong education.
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