Shillong, Sep 2 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday said that the quality of teachers remains the most decisive factor in transforming the education system, asserting that infrastructure and government schemes can succeed only when backed by committed educators.
Addressing the 65th Teachers’ Day State-level celebration held in advance at Tura, Sangma said teachers working in remote and single-teacher schools deserve recognition even when their contribution receives no public applause. “No education system can rise above the quality of its teachers, however much money we spend on buildings, however many schemes we launch,” the Chief Minister said.
Recalling the government’s efforts since 2018 to transform school infrastructure, Sangma said an initial assessment had estimated a requirement of Rs 3,000 crore. “I stared at the screen and said I don’t have Rs 3,000 crore. But I said, let us start, even if with 10 schools. Every long journey starts with the first step,” he said. He said that through Mission Education, infrastructure in more than 2,000 government elementary schools has been upgraded, while the number of Higher Secondary Schools increased from 427 to 545.
Sangma said education has also received the largest share of his Chief Minister’s Special Development Fund, with around Rs 150-180 crore of the Rs 300-400 crore spent over the last eight financial years going to the sector.
Highlighting progress in learning outcomes, he said Meghalaya had moved from Akanshi-3 to Akanshi-1 in the Performance Grading Index in a single year, with its score rising from 448 to 525.7 points. He said the state recorded a 97.2 per cent SSLC pass percentage and 86.6 per cent HSSLC pass percentage this year, while Class X-to-XI transition rose to 82.1 per cent.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the Meghalaya School Performance Grading Index, covering all 11,443 schools across 12 districts.
Urging teachers to reconnect with their purpose, Sangma said, “The purpose of every teacher is to shape the lives of youth, and while shaping youth, you shape the future of the country.”
He urged officials and teachers to focus on solutions and ensure that every decision is guided by one question related to the benefits of the students.
–IANS
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