Shadap, from Thadrang Umngem is the oldest among 9,767 dropouts registered as private candidates for the exam (AI Image)Thirty-seven years after financial hardship forced him to leave school and take on family responsibilities, 59-year-old Sylvester Shadap is preparing to return to the examination hall in Meghalaya, hoping to finally complete the Class-10 education he left unfinished in 1989.Shadap, from Thadrang Umngem village in Ri Bhoi district, is the oldest among 9,767 former school dropouts registered as private candidates for the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination under Meghalaya’s Second Chance Learning Programme. The December examination will give learners across the state another route to complete Class 10 without returning to a conventional full-time school.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 has no upper age limit and has registered adolescents, young adults and older learners from all 12 districts.For Shadap, the return comes after decades away from formal education. He said financial difficulties had made it necessary for him to leave school and support his family. Years later, he decided to resume his studies, also hoping to encourage younger people and others who had dropped out to return to education.Preparing for the examination has not been straightforward. After a 37-year gap, Shadap has had to adjust to a curriculum that is substantially different from the one he studied. He said adapting to the changes had been challenging but remained determined to prepare for the examination.The programme has established 171 notified learning and assessment centres across Meghalaya, including 690 registered candidates in Ri Bhoi. MBOSE is responsible for the academic and examination framework, while MPOWER supports community mobilisation, mentoring, registration, learner tracking and follow-up.Learners have also been provided free self-study materials in Khasi, Garo, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, English and Health. The initiative is designed to support people who discontinued education because of financial difficulties, family responsibilities, migration, early marriage, geographical barriers or other circumstances.Story continues below this adThe second-chance pathway does not end with the SSLC examination. Successful learners can be connected with higher secondary education, vocational education and skills training, providing routes to continue their education or develop employment-related skills.The programme follows the National Education Policy’s emphasis on flexible learning, inclusion, re-entry into education and lifelong learning.