Shillong, Dec 9 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday, while asserting that education has been the top priority of the present government, said the budget in the education sector has witnessed a massive jump in the last few years.

Highlighting the government’s education initiatives since 2018, Sangma said that education has been a priority sector of the government and noted that over the past few years, the education budget had increased from Rs 2,000 crores to Rs 3,500 crores annually, making it the highest in the state. He added that this investment was beginning to show the transformation the government desired.

On holistic education, the Chief Minister emphasised, “Education is not just about books or degrees, it is about building character. It instils discipline, faith, patriotism, and respect for elders, hard work, commitment, and a sense of purpose. True education nurtures children into individuals of strong character.”

While attending the closing ceremony of the Golden Jubilee Celebration (1975–2025) of Nartiang Presbyterian Higher Secondary School, the Chief Minister, in his address to the gathering, said, “Today, this school has completed 50 years of its journey with many more years and decades to come. I compliment Nartiang Presbyterian Higher Secondary School for its immense contribution to society and express my gratitude to everyone who has contributed towards the school.”

Sangma also shared insights into Meghalaya’s educational density, noting, “Tripura, with a population of over 45 lakh, has around 4,000 schools. Manipur, with a population similar to Meghalaya, has about 5,000 schools. Nagaland has roughly 4,000 schools. Meghalaya, however, has 14,000 schools—10,000 more than Tripura. We have 55,000 teachers, while Manipur has 36,000 and Tripura 40,000, despite their larger populations.”

Acknowledging challenges in school rationalisation, the Chief Minister observed that there were 206 schools with full teaching capacity but no students, and about 2,000 schools had 5–7 teachers for only one to five students.

He said that rationalisation was complex because many livelihoods depended on these positions.

On reforms, the Chief Minister stated that the government was finalising a structured salary system for ad hoc and SSA teachers, which would provide job security, incremental salary increases, and post-retirement benefits, and he expected a final decision before Christmas.

Regarding student opportunities, he announced that the government was assessing the demand for science streams not just at NPHSS but across all higher secondary schools, and that it was committed to ensuring students could pursue subjects of their choice without limitation.

–IANS

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