As many as 9,767 former school dropouts in Meghalaya have registered as private candidates for the upcoming Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination under the state’s Second Chance Learning Programme. The examination is scheduled for December 2026.
The programme is a joint initiative of the Meghalaya government, Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) and Meghalaya Programme for Adolescent Wellbeing, Empowerment and Resilience (MPOWER). It allows learners who discontinued formal education to prepare for and take the Class X examination without returning to a conventional full-time school.
Registrations have come from all 12 districts and include adolescents, young adults and older learners. There is no upper age limit for candidates appearing as private SSLC candidates.
59-year-old among the candidates
The oldest registered candidate is 59-year-old Sylvester Shadap from Thadrang Umngem village in Ri Bhoi district. Shadap left school in 1989 and is now preparing to sit for the SSLC examination nearly 37 years later.
“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,” Shadap said. He said he now wants to encourage children in his family and other young people who have left school to return to education.
Preparing after such a long gap has also brought challenges, particularly adapting to changes in the curriculum, he said.
171 learning centres
The programme has established 171 notified learning and assessment centres across Meghalaya. Ri Bhoi has 690 registered candidates, including 185 learners at the Mawlasnai centre.
The private SSLC pathway is intended for learners whose education was disrupted by factors including financial difficulties, family responsibilities, migration, early marriage and geographical barriers.
MBOSE Director of the Shillong Regional Office Macdonald Marbaniang said the response showed that many people who had left school still wanted an opportunity to complete their education. The programme also provides self-study materials and support to help learners prepare for the examination.
The December examination will give the registered learners an opportunity to complete Class X and subsequently pursue higher education, vocational education or skills training.