Raphael Warjri

Concerned over the reported restriction on students' access to a playground previously used for sporting and recreational activities, parents of Shillong Public School students on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the Director of School Education & Literacy (DSEL), Meghalaya, seeking the department's intervention.

The parents were unable to meet the Director in person owing to official engagements but formally placed their grievances before the department through a written representation.

According to the parents, the playground had long served as a regular venue for students' outdoor activities without any restrictions. While welcoming the government's initiative to upgrade and develop the facility, they maintained that the benefits of the improved infrastructure had not reached the students, who are now reportedly unable to utilise the ground and have been forced to conduct their activities elsewhere, including within the limited space available on the school campus.

The memorandum also raised concerns regarding the management and utilisation of the facility following its inauguration by Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui. The parents sought greater transparency on the terms governing the use of the ground and requested that the department make available the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) related to its administration.

Urging the authorities to examine the matter, the parents stressed the importance of ensuring that students have unhindered access to adequate sports infrastructure, which they said is vital for their overall physical and holistic development.