Raphael Warjri

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday chaired a high-level review meeting with the Education Department to assess the State's performance in the Performance Grading Index (PGI) and review ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening the education sector.

During the meeting, officials presented various initiatives being undertaken to improve learning outcomes, enhance school infrastructure, expand vocational education, and strengthen digital governance and data management systems.

The Chief Minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring quality education for every child and stressed the need for a strategic, scientific, and data-driven approach to improve educational performance across the State.

Officials highlighted Meghalaya's extensive education network comprising nearly 14,600 schools serving a population of around 30 lakh, reflecting the State's efforts to provide access to education even in remote areas.

The review noted that learning outcomes remain a key focus area, with interventions centred on foundational literacy and numeracy, classroom teaching, teacher support, and student welfare. Progress in upgrading school infrastructure, including science laboratories, ICT facilities, smart classrooms, libraries, drinking water systems, and solar-powered infrastructure, was also discussed.

A major focus of the meeting was vocational and skill-based education through the Community Skill Integrated Curriculum, which introduces practical learning from the primary level onwards.

The Chief Minister directed Deputy Commissioners and district administrations to work closely with the Education Department to accelerate implementation of key interventions and ensure effective monitoring at the grassroots level.

Officials informed that 3,198 schools have already been merged or consolidated under the school rationalization programme, enabling better utilization of resources and improved service delivery.

Addressing the meeting, Sangma said the reforms undertaken in recent years are laying the foundation for long-term transformation in the education sector. He stated that while Meghalaya has ensured access to schools for every child, the next objective is to ensure high-quality learning in every school.

As per an official report, the State's PGI score reflects structural, administrative and data-reporting challenges and does not accurately represent the talent and potential of Meghalaya's students.

The review reaffirmed the government's commitment to building a stronger, inclusive and future-ready education system capable of delivering better learning outcomes for the children of Meghalaya.