Shillong, Sept 29: A 59-year-old ‘student’ is among the 9,767 school dropouts across Meghalaya, who will be appearing for the SSLC examination.
An official statement said on Tuesday ( Sept 29) that there is no upper age limit, with the oldest registered candidate being 59-year-old Sylvester Shadap from Thadrang Umngem village in Bhoirymbong Block, Ri Bhoi district.
Sylvester left school in 1989. After a gap of nearly four decades, he is preparing to sit for the SSLC examination.
“I dropped out of school in 1989, so it has been approximately 37 years since then. Honestly, I knew within myself that coming back for further studies was over. But my goal is to encourage the children of this generation, my own household, and also those children who have dropped out and left their education,” Sylvester said.
For him, returning to education is also about setting an example for his family and community.
Sylvester added, “Returning for the SSLC examination is to set an example for all the adolescents, starting from my own family. We understand that adolescents are the future of the State and this generation. This is what encouraged me personally to return to this examination”, he said.
Preparing for the examination after 37 years has not been easy, particularly with changes in the curriculum. But Sylvester remains determined .
Among the newly enrolled learners, 15 candidates are in the ages of 50- 59-year-old , symbolising the programme’s commitment to lifelong learning and the belief that it is never too late to pursue education.
According to the state government, 9,767 school dropouts were registered as private SSLC candidates under the State’s Second Chance Learning Programme, giving learners who had left school an opportunity to return to education and
complete Class X.
The programme is a joint effort of the state government, Meghalaya Board of School of Education (MBOSE) and Meghalaya Programme for Adolescent Wellbeing, Empowerment
and Resilience (MPOWER).
This provides a flexible route for learners to prepare and appear for the upcoming SSLC examination scheduled for December 2026.
Macdonald Marabaniang, Director, Shillong Regional Office, MBoSE, said, “The response to the Private SSLC pathway shows that many learners who had to leave school still
want an opportunity to complete their education. We aim to make that opportunity accessible
and give them a clear, recognised pathway to the SSLC examination. We hope these learners will use this opportunity to continue their education and take the next step towards their
future.”
Registrations have come from all districts and include adolescents, young adults and older learners.
