Delhi, May 25: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Sunday presented a detailed roadmap to improve the State’s Performance Grading Index (PGI) to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, outlining a series of structural reforms aimed at strengthening educational outcomes in the state.
Acknowledging that Meghalaya has ranked at the bottom of the PGI for the past three years, Sangma said the Education Department has identified critical gaps in learning outcomes and initiated corrective measures to address long-standing systemic issues.
The Chief Minister highlighted key structural challenges affecting the education sector, including an unusually high number of schools, fragmented resource utilisation, multiple layers of grant-in-aid mechanisms, and administrative complexities that have persisted for decades.
Among the Northeastern states excluding Assam, Meghalaya — with a population of nearly 30 lakh — has around 14,600 schools, the highest compared to states such as Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura.
Sangma said these structural issues had diverted focus away from improving learning outcomes, but the government has now adopted measures to enhance the quality of education across the state.
A major initiative undertaken by the government is the consolidation and rationalisation of schools to optimise infrastructure and improve resource utilisation. The move is expected to improve student-teacher ratios and enhance access to laboratories and digital learning facilities.
The Chief Minister informed the Union Minister that the state is also streamlining multiple grant-in-aid (GIA) mechanisms to reduce administrative burden and allow greater focus on academic quality and educational outcomes.
He further highlighted the government’s decision to implement a unified pay structure, including structured pay for SSA teachers.
“This reform aims to bring parity, improve morale, and enhance accountability across the teaching workforce,” Sangma said during the presentation.
The Chief Minister also stressed the importance of teacher training and professional development programmes in ensuring quality education. He said DIKSHA-enabled professional development programmes and self-paced learning modules are being introduced to equip teachers with modern pedagogical tools and continuous learning opportunities.
Among other reforms highlighted were the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) three-language formula, compulsory teaching of Khasi and Garo languages, play-based and discovery-oriented learning, contextualised textbooks, and the introduction of “bag-less days” on alternate days during the foundational stage.
The government has also discontinued summative assessments up to Class 2 and removed textbooks for pre-school students, replacing them with resource materials for teachers.
On the rationalisation of lower primary schools, Sangma said that out of 14,582 schools, 3,198 have already been merged or deleted for optimum utilisation of resources. He added that community-integrated skill learning has also been introduced, allowing students to learn practical skills related to health and physical education from family members, community experts, and local mentors.
The Chief Minister also briefed the Union Minister on the recently launched “CM LEAD Fellowship”, a structured initiative aimed at strengthening implementation capacity within the education system.
Under the programme, 12 fellows will be deployed across the state’s 12 districts to support planning, coordination, monitoring, and execution of key education reforms.
Another major intervention includes the establishment of the Meghalaya Teachers’ Training Academy (MTTA), an exclusive teacher training institution aimed at improving Continuous Professional Development (CPD) hours in the state. The academy will implement the teacher education component of Samagra Shiksha.
“With a clear roadmap and strong political will, Meghalaya is poised to overcome its challenges and significantly improve its PGI performance in the coming years. The Government reiterates its commitment to ensuring that every child in the State has access to quality education and opportunities for a better future,” Sangma said.
