Shillong: Meghalaya’s literacy rate has reached an impressive 94%, according to Commissioner and Secretary in-charge of Education, Vijay Kumar Mantri. While acknowledging that literacy rate is a complex metric defined by the Government of India, Mantri said the figure reflects ongoing efforts to uplift education standards across the state.
Mantri also emphasised the importance of teacher education and training in improving the quality of education. To address this, the department is creating guidebooks for teachers, including the CM Impact program, which provides pedagogical support and examples to enhance teaching methodologies.
The guidebooks aim to equip teachers with the skills to simplify complex subjects, incorporate games and interactive activities, and improve student engagement. By targeting pedagogy and teacher training, the department hopes to further enhance the quality of education in Meghalaya.
“So, when you talk about quality of education, there are many various factors are involved. One is that teacher education. The training of the teachers, qualification of the teachers. And the facilities that are in the school attendance of the students, and also the quality of teaching is something that’s very important. So with regard to quality of teaching, what we are doing is that we are creating guidebooks. We are creating guidebooks for the teachers,” mentioned Mantri.
Mantri also highlighted critical challenges in Meghalaya’s education system, particularly in infrastructure and rational use of resources, as the government rolls out multi-phase interventions to address these issues.
Speaking on the current state of infrastructure, Mantri said a large portion of the state’s education budget—approximately Rs 2,400 crore—is allocated solely for salaries. “So very little budget is available for improving infrastructure. And improving infrastructure is essential, especially because of the heavy rainfall Meghalaya receives,” he said.
The result of this budgetary constraint is visible in several schools that have not received government support. “Wherever schools have not been intervened and not given support, they are facing a lot of difficulties,” Mantri noted.
To address these concerns, the state has launched multiple schemes. Under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) project, 65 schools are currently being upgraded with new classrooms and facilities. Additionally, the Mission Education initiative is underway in phased manner. “Two phases have already been completed, and many schools have benefited. The schools seen in recent reports will be covered under the third phase and subsequent ones,” he stated.
He added that infrastructure issues flagged through social media or other platforms are being acted upon immediately, reinforcing the government’s commitment to responsive governance.
Another significant issue flagged by the department is the skewed distribution of teachers and schools across villages. Of the 40,000 teachers supported by the state, only 7,000 are government-appointed, with the remaining employed in private institutions. The state spends Rs 2,000 crore annually on salaries for schoolteachers and another Ra 300 crore for college staff.
“Some villages have five or more schools, while others remain underserved. There are cases where schools have zero enrolment, but still have two teachers. In other areas, two teachers are managing only three students,” Mantri pointed out.
To optimise resources and improve educational outcomes, the education department has begun rationalising schools. “We have identified 600 schools located next to each other—an SSA school and a government school. Since SSA is also a government initiative, so you can’t have two government schools side by side,” he said.
The state is also encouraging private schools to participate in the rationalisation exercise to avoid duplication and better serve student populations.
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