TURA , 22 October (H.S.): Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday

inaugurated the renovated building of Rimrangpara Higher Secondary School in

the presence of Gambegre MLA Mehtab Chandee A. Sangma and Chokpot MLA Sengchim

Sangma.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister reiterated that

education remains the highest priority of the State Government, with

approximately Rs. 4,000 crore allocated annually to the sector out of the

State’s total expenditure of Rs. 20,000 crore on various interventions.

“Education is the most important sector, and that is why we

invest so significantly in it,” he said.

The Chief Minister acknowledged the challenges facing

Meghalaya’s education system, including inadequate infrastructure, teachers’

salary concerns, dilapidated school buildings and historically poor SSLC

results, particularly in the Garo Hills region. He said the NPP-led Government

had worked consistently over the past eight years to improve educational

infrastructure and learning outcomes despite these challenges.

Referring to the renovation of Rimrangpara Higher Secondary

School, he said students and teachers had endured difficult conditions in a

building that urgently required repairs. An amount of Rs. 14 lakh was

sanctioned for the renovation through the Chief Minister’s Special Development

Fund (CMSDF).

He thanked the School Managing Committee, teachers, church

authorities and the local community for their efforts in pursuing the project,

while acknowledging the role of the local MLA in following up on the matter.

“Good things in a village happen when people keep asking and

keep working together,” he said.

Highlighting the Government’s Mission Education initiative,

the Chief Minister said the objective was to ensure that every government

school in Meghalaya meets minimum standards for classrooms, facilities and

basic amenities. More than 2,000 schools across the State have been upgraded so

far, while over 80 new school buildings were inaugurated on September 23.

He added that the Government’s initiatives extend beyond

physical infrastructure. Under CM IMPACT, students have access to an online

tutoring platform featuring chapter-wise lessons, a chatbot for answering

questions and mock tests. Efforts are also underway to make the platform

accessible offline in areas with limited network connectivity.

The Chief Minister also highlighted improvements in academic

performance, stating that the SSLC pass percentage had reached 86.84 per cent

this year. The pass percentage in the Higher Secondary examinations exceeded 83

per cent across Science, Arts and Commerce streams. Meghalaya’s score in the

national Performance Grading Index for school education also increased from 448

in 2024 to 525.71 in 2026.

However, he acknowledged that significant gaps remain,

particularly in rural schools that lack reliable electricity, safe drinking

water, internet connectivity, libraries, science laboratories and adequate

teaching staff. He said the Education Department had been directed to prepare a

school-wise roadmap identifying these shortcomings, along with clear timelines

and funding requirements.

Highlighting the structural challenges in the education

system, he pointed to the disparity between the number of lower primary, upper

primary, secondary and higher secondary schools, as well as colleges, which

limits opportunities for students to continue their education.

To address these gaps, the Government has established 23 new

People’s Colleges, constructed college buildings in Baghmara and Williamnagar,

started a new college in Mahendraganj, and taken steps towards strengthening

higher education through a new State university and an engineering college in

Shillong.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the introduction of a

structured pay framework for more than 23,000 Adhoc and SSA teachers, with

nearly Rs. 800 crore earmarked for salaries. Financial assistance to 700

schools under CM IMPACT Plus is another initiative aimed at improving

educational standards.

He further stated that while the Government is directly

undertaking repairs of government lower primary and upper primary schools,

assistance for Adhoc, Deficit and other categories of schools is being extended

through CMSDF, corporate social responsibility initiatives and MLA funds.

Responding to a request from MLA Mehtab Chandee A. Sangma

for the construction of a gallery at the Rimrangpara school playground, the

Chief Minister assured that the work would be initiated in a phased manner.

Speaking on the occasion, MLA Mehtab Chandee A. Sangma

recalled that during her bye-election campaign, she had witnessed the poor

condition of the school building. She said members of the community and the

School Managing Committee had brought the infrastructure problems to her

attention, highlighting leaking roofs and the difficulties faced by students.

Although the school is not a government-run institution, she

said the Chief Minister had promptly agreed to extend financial assistance

after she raised the issue. She thanked him for sanctioning funds through CMSDF

and acknowledged his continued support for development initiatives in Gambegre.

The MLA urged teachers to ensure quality education and

called upon parents and students to cooperate in creating a better learning

environment. She also appealed to the Chief Minister to support the

establishment of more higher secondary schools in rural Garo Hills, pointing

out that the lack of such institutions often forces students to discontinue

their studies after Class X.

She reiterated her request for a gallery at the Rimrangpara

school playground to further improve facilities for students and the local

community.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhijit Deb