New Delhi: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday outlined a broad education reform strategy before Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, focusing on improving the state’s Performance Grading Index (PGI) and addressing long-standing challenges in the education sector.
During the meeting in Delhi, Sangma acknowledged that Meghalaya has remained at the lower end of PGI rankings over the past three years. He said the state government has identified major gaps affecting educational outcomes and has begun implementing structural reforms.
The Chief Minister highlighted that Meghalaya’s large number of schools has created challenges in resource allocation and administration. Despite having a population of around 30 lakh, the state has nearly 14,600 schools, one of the highest figures in the Northeast apart from Assam.
According to Sangma, this extensive network has contributed to fragmented use of resources, multiple grant-in-aid mechanisms and administrative complexities that have continued for years.
To address these issues, the government has shifted focus toward improving the quality of education rather than merely expanding access. One of the key initiatives involves consolidating schools and optimising infrastructure to improve student-teacher ratios and provide better access to laboratories and digital learning facilities.
The Chief Minister also said the state is simplifying grant-in-aid systems to reduce administrative burdens and allow greater emphasis on academic performance and learning outcomes.
Among the major reforms introduced is a unified pay structure for teachers, including structured compensation for SSA teachers. Sangma said the measure is intended to ensure parity, strengthen accountability and improve morale among educators.
Teacher training has also been prioritised as part of the reform process. The state has introduced DIKSHA-enabled training modules and self-paced learning programmes to equip teachers with updated teaching methods and modern pedagogical practices.
Sangma further informed the Union Minister about the implementation of several measures under the National Education Policy framework. These include adoption of the three-language formula, compulsory teaching of Khasi and Garo languages, play-based learning approaches, contextualised textbooks and bag-less days for younger students.
The reforms also include removing summative assessments up to Class 2, aiming to create a more flexible and development-oriented learning environment at the foundational stage.
On school rationalisation, the Chief Minister said that 3,198 lower primary schools out of a total of 14,582 have already been merged or discontinued as part of efforts to improve resource utilisation.
Another initiative highlighted was the newly launched “CM LEAD Fellowship,” under which 12 fellows will be deployed across Meghalaya’s districts. The programme is intended to strengthen planning, monitoring and coordination of education reforms.
Additionally, Sangma announced the establishment of the Meghalaya Teachers Training Academy (MTTA), which will oversee teacher education under Samagra Shiksha and support continuous professional development.
The Chief Minister said the state’s reform agenda reflects a commitment to improving educational standards and ensuring better outcomes for students. He expressed confidence that sustained implementation and policy focus would help Meghalaya improve its performance indicators in the years ahead.
