How Smart Classrooms and Periodic Assessments Improved Class X Pass Percentage in a Remote District of Meghalaya
For decades, life in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills revolved around coal. Mining shaped livelihoods, local aspirations and, in many cases, children’s futures. When mining came to a halt, families that had depended on it were forced into daily wage labour, bringing greater financial uncertainty. In many households, children’s education became difficult to prioritise as immediate income took precedence over long-term opportunities.
The district’s education outcomes reflected these challenges. Only 25–28% of students were clearing the Class X board examination. Behind this number lay multiple barriers. Many parents had limited awareness of career pathways beyond mining and found it difficult to see how continued schooling could improve their children’s prospects. Attendance suffered as students were often expected to contribute to household income.
Language presented another significant hurdle. While Meghalaya’s curriculum, textbooks and board examinations are conducted entirely in English, classroom instruction in many schools was largely delivered in Khasi and Pnar, the languages students spoke at home. As a result, many learners were expected to write high-stakes examinations in a language they had not yet mastered with confidence.
Recognising that these challenges required a structured and practical response, the district administration, under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner Shri Abhilash Baranwal, launched Project Ka-Lawei, meaning The Future.
The initiative sought to strengthen classroom learning by combining offline digital learning with regular assessment, while supporting teachers with practical tools they could integrate into their existing classrooms.
The programme began with a pilot across 20 schools. Each school was equipped with a Smart Classroom featuring an affordable Smart TV and a pen drive loaded with meghalaya board aligned digital learning content. Because internet connectivity remains unreliable across many parts of the district, the entire solution worked offline.
The pen drive contained iPrep, an offline learning management system aligned with the Meghalaya State Board curriculum for Classes 6 to 10. Students could access animated concept videos, practice questions, digital textbooks, learning activities and a library of stories, poems and biographies. For many learners, this created regular exposure to English through visual explanations and interactive learning experiences that could be revisited whenever required.
Before expanding the programme, the district first focused on understanding students’ learning needs.
A baseline assessment across the pilot schools revealed that many Class X students had learning gaps of up to four grade levels. Rather than assuming that simply introducing digital content would improve outcomes, the district used this data to shape its intervention.
A structured bridge course was introduced through iPrep to help teachers revisit foundational concepts from earlier grades before progressing to Class X content. Teachers received support on integrating the bridge course into their regular teaching schedules, allowing remediation to become part of everyday classroom practice instead of an occasional activity.
The pilot also demonstrated that the Smart Classrooms were being actively used. Within six months, the 20 schools recorded 4,500 hours of Smart Classroom usage. This consistent adoption gave the district confidence to expand the initiative to 166 classrooms, while maintaining its focus on improving Class X outcomes.
As the programme matured, another important layer was introduced. Students began taking monthly assessments through the iPrep Assessment App, covering the topics taught during the previous month. These assessments provided teachers with timely insights into student understanding, allowing them to identify concepts that required further attention before moving ahead.
Instead of relying on end-of-year examinations to reveal learning gaps, teachers could make small adjustments throughout the academic year. Assessment data informed classroom instruction, helping teachers refine the bridge course and provide additional support where it was needed most. This continuous feedback cycle strengthened both teaching and learning.
Over the next three years, the district saw sustained progress.
Annual Smart Classroom usage increased from 4,500 hours to more than 53,000 hours, reflecting regular classroom integration. During the same period, the Class X pass percentage improved from 25–28% before the programme to 62% by the end of the second year and to over 90% by the end of the third year.
The experience of East Jaintia Hills highlights that meaningful improvement comes from combining multiple interventions thoughtfully. Baseline assessments helped identify where students were starting from. Smart Classrooms made curriculum-aligned digital content consistently accessible, even without internet connectivity. Bridge courses addressed foundational learning gaps, while periodic assessments enabled teachers to monitor progress and respond with timely support.
Technology did not replace classroom teaching. Instead, it strengthened teachers’ ability to understand learner needs, adapt instruction and provide targeted support within existing school routines.
Today, the district’s focus has naturally evolved. With many more students successfully completing Class X, attention is shifting towards improving subject-wise performance, strengthening grade-level competencies and preparing learners for higher education and future opportunities.
The journey of Project Ka-Lawei demonstrates that when digital learning, evidence-based planning and continuous assessment work together, classrooms can become better equipped to support every learner. In East Jaintia Hills, the most significant outcome is not only the improvement in examination results, but the growing confidence that more students can continue their education with stronger foundations for the future.