Rimrangpara: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday inaugurated the newly renovated building of Rimrangpara Higher Secondary School located in South West Garo Hills. The renovation project was supported with Rs 14 lakh sanctioned directly through the Chief Minister’s Special Development Fund, known as CMSDF. The inauguration ceremony witnessed the presence of Gambegre MLA Mehtab Chandee A. Sangma alongside Chokpot MLA Sengchim Sangma.
Prioritizing Education and Mission Education
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister emphasized that education remains the absolute top priority for the state administration. Out of roughly Rs 20,000 crore spent annually on various developmental interventions, an amount of Rs 4,000 crore is allocated exclusively to the education sector. He candidly acknowledged that Meghalaya's schooling apparatus has historically battled immense hurdles, ranging from inadequate physical infrastructure and teachers' salary disputes to dismal examination outcomes in prior years.
Significant Improvements in Academic Results
Reflecting on past figures, Sangma pointed out that over 75 per cent of children previously failed their SSLC examinations within the Garo Hills region. However, sustained policy interventions over the last eight years have driven a notable turnaround, with this year's SSLC pass percentage climbing to 86.84 per cent. Furthermore, pass percentages across Higher Secondary Science, Arts, and Commerce streams have all surpassed 83 per cent, while the state's score in the national Performance Grading Index rose from 448 in 2024 to 525.71 in 2026.
Infrastructure Upgrades and Digital Learning
Under the umbrella of Mission Education, the state government has successfully upgraded more than 2,000 schools across Meghalaya, including the inauguration of over 80 new school buildings on September 23 alone. To complement physical infrastructure, digital learning is being rapidly expanded through the CM IMPACT platform, which equips students with chapter-wise lessons, an interactive chatbot for academic queries, and mock tests. Work is actively ongoing to ensure this platform functions offline in remote pockets suffering from poor network connectivity.
Addressing Remaining Gaps and Higher Education
Despite these strides, Sangma cautioned that infrastructure enhancement alone cannot resolve every systemic flaw, noting persistent gaps regarding electricity, safe drinking water, internet access, libraries, science laboratories, and teacher shortages, particularly in rural hinterlands. Sharing details of the event on X, Conrad K. Sangma stated that he has instructed the Education Department to formulate a school-wise roadmap detailing precise timelines and funding requirements to eliminate these shortcomings.
Expanding Access and Supporting Teachers
To tackle the structural imbalance where higher education opportunities taper off, the government has established 23 new People's Colleges, built new college facilities in Baghmara and Williamnagar, launched a college in Mahendraganj, and initiated projects for a state university and an engineering college in Shillong. Additionally, the administration has implemented a structured pay framework for more than 23,000 ad hoc and SSA teachers, earmarking nearly Rs 800 crore specifically for their salaries.
