Shillong, July 2 (IANS) Declaring that quality education begins with well-trained teachers, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday said the newly operational Meghalaya Teacher Training Academy (MTTA) will play a pivotal role in strengthening the foundation of the state’s education system and improving learning outcomes.

Inaugurating the academy in the presence of Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui, senior officials and education sector stakeholders, Sangma said the day marked the real beginning of the institution’s vision and mission.

“Today marks the true beginning of the academy, its vision, its purpose and its functioning. This is not merely about infrastructure; it is about creating a system that will strengthen the foundation of education in Meghalaya,” the Chief Minister said.

He said the academy has been conceived to bridge critical gaps in teacher capacity and ensure continuous professional development instead of relying on fragmented, one-time training programmes.

Sangma noted that the initiative assumes significance as national assessments, including PGI 2.0 and PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, placed Meghalaya in the lowest performance category, Akanshi-3, for student learning outcomes. Government data also showed that only 17 per cent of teachers in the state had undergone professional development during the previous year.

Acknowledging that education reforms require sustained effort, the Chief Minister compared the system to a tangled thread that must be carefully untied rather than pulled apart. He said lasting improvements would come only through systematic reforms backed by strong institutions.

Highlighting the government’s commitment to the education sector, Sangma said the state had undertaken the rationalisation and pay restructuring of more than 23,000 SSA teachers, involving an annual financial commitment of nearly Rs 800 crore.

He described the decision as difficult but necessary to address structural challenges affecting the quality of education.

The Chief Minister said the academy would function through a decentralised “Hub-and-Spoke” model, connecting the apex institution with District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) and Colleges of Teacher Education (CTEs) across the state. The model is expected to deliver standardised training closer to teachers’ workplaces while reducing disruptions to classroom teaching.

The MTTA will also leverage data analytics, educational technology and specialised training support to improve teaching standards and deliver measurable gains in student learning across Meghalaya.

–IANS

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