Shillong, September 2: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma emphasized on Wednesday that the quality of teachers is the most crucial factor in transforming the education system. He stated that infrastructure and government initiatives can only succeed with the support of dedicated educators.
Addressing the state-level celebration of the 65th Teacher’s Day in Tura, CM Sangma highlighted that teachers working in remote areas and single-teacher schools deserve respect, even if their contributions go unrecognized publicly.
He remarked, “No education system can be better than the quality of its teachers, regardless of how much money we spend on buildings or how many schemes we launch.”
Recalling the government’s efforts to improve school infrastructure since 2018, he noted that an initial assessment estimated a need of ₹30 billion. He shared, “I looked at the screen and said I don’t have ₹30 billion, but then I thought, let’s start, even if it’s with just 10 schools. Every long journey begins with a single step.”
He revealed that through the ‘Mission Education’ initiative, infrastructure has been upgraded in over 2,000 government elementary schools, and the number of higher secondary schools has increased from 427 to 545.
Sangma mentioned that the education sector received the largest share from his ‘Chief Minister’s Special Development Fund.’ Out of ₹30-40 billion spent over the last eight financial years, approximately ₹15-18 billion has been allocated to this sector.
Emphasizing the progress in learning outcomes, he noted that Meghalaya advanced from ‘Aspiring-3’ to ‘Aspiring-1’ in the Performance Grading Index within a single year, with its score rising from 448 to 525.7. He also reported that the SSLC pass percentage this year was 97.2%, while the HSSLC pass percentage stood at 86.6%, with the transition rate from 10th to 11th grade increasing to 82.1%.
The Chief Minister also referenced the ‘Meghalaya School Performance Grading Index,’ which includes all 11,443 schools across 12 districts.
Urging teachers to remember their purpose, Sangma stated, “Every teacher’s goal is to shape the lives of the youth, and by nurturing the youth, you are also shaping the future of the nation.” He called on officials and educators to focus on solutions and ensure that every decision is based on what benefits the students.
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