Rimrangpara, Oct 22: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday inaugurated the renovated building of Rimrangpara Higher Secondary School in South West Garo Hills in the presence of Gambegre MLA Mehtab Chandee A. Sangma and Chokpot MLA Sengchim Sangma.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister said education remains the highest priority for the state government.
“Every year we spend Rs. 20,000 crore for different interventions in the State, of which Rs. 4000 crore is for education sector alone, because education is most important,” he said.
Sangma acknowledged the challenges facing the state’s education system, including different categories of schools, infrastructure gaps, teachers’ salary concerns, dilapidated buildings and poor SSLC results in the past.
“In the past over 75 percent of children failed their SSLC exam in Garo Hills region.
Government schools had to function from poor infrastructure. Despite problems, in the last eight years, the NPP led Government has worked tirelessly to serve our people and improve the education scenario,” he said.
Referring to the renovation of Rimrangpara Higher Secondary School, Sangma said students and teachers had struggled for years in a building that required urgent repairs.
“For a long time, the students and teachers of this school have managed in a building that badly needed repair. Today we opened the renovated building, and I am glad that this work was supported through the Chief Minister’s Special Development Fund. The fund exists for exactly this purpose: to respond quickly when a community tells us what it needs most. Rs. 14 lakh was sanctioned for renovation of Rimrangpara HS School,” he said.
He thanked the School Managing Committee, teachers, church and local community for pursuing the renovation and acknowledged the MLA’s role in following up on the proposal.
“Good things in a village happen when people keep asking and keep working together,” he added.
Over 2,000 schools upgraded under Mission Education
Sangma said the government was working under Mission Education to ensure that every government school in Meghalaya meets a defined minimum standard for classrooms, facilities and basic amenities.
“When we looked at our schools some years ago, we found many had been running for decades in buildings that were broken, unsafe, or temporary. No child learns well in a classroom where the roof leaks or there is nowhere to sit. So far more than 2,000 schools across the State have been upgraded. Just last month, on 23rd September, more than 80 new school buildings were inaugurated in a single day,” he said.
Through CM IMPACT, students can access an online tutoring platform featuring chapter-wise lessons, a chatbot to answer questions and mock tests. The government is also working to make the platform available offline in areas with weak network connectivity.
Highlighting improvements in academic performance, Sangma said 86.84% of students passed the SSLC examination this year. The pass percentage in Higher Secondary examinations exceeded 83% in Science, Arts and Commerce.
Meghalaya’s score in the national Performance Grading Index for school education also increased from 448 in 2024 to 525.71 in 2026, he said.
However, the Chief Minister acknowledged that several challenges remain, particularly in rural schools.
“ Many rural schools still do not have reliable electricity, safe drinking water, internet, proper libraries or science laboratories. Many still need more teachers. Earlier this year I asked the Education Department to prepare a roadmap for exactly these gaps, school by school, with clear timelines and funds required,” he said.
Government working to expand access to higher education
Sangma also highlighted the need to address gaps in access to higher education, pointing to the imbalance between the number of schools at different levels and the limited availability of colleges.
“What is our biggest problem in education – 9000 Govt LP schools, upper primary 3000, secondary 1700 and higher secondary 500, colleges 80 – the ratio does not allow our children to study, even if they want to pursue, there is no scope, where will they take admission. We want to work to change the situation,” he said.
To address the problem, the government has opened 23 new People’s Colleges, constructed new college buildings in Baghmara and Williamnagar, started a new college in Mahendraganj, and taken up initiatives including a new state university and an engineering college in Shillong.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the introduction of a structured pay framework for more than 23,000 ad hoc and SSA teachers, with nearly ₹800 crore earmarked for salaries.
Financial assistance for 700 schools through CM IMPACT Plus is another intervention aimed at improving educational infrastructure and outcomes, he said.
“While the Government is directly repairing all Govt Primary and Upper Primary schools, for Adhoc, Deficit and other categories, support is being extended through CMSDF, CSR and MLA funds,” he added.
CM assures phased construction of school playground gallery
Responding to the MLA’s request for a gallery at Rimrangpara Higher Secondary School’s playground, Sangma assured that the work would be initiated in a phased manner.
Speaking at the event, Gambegre MLA Mehtab Chandee A. Sangma said she had witnessed the poor condition of the school during her by-election campaign and was approached by residents and the School Managing Committee to help improve its infrastructure.
“During my bye-election campaign, I witnessed the poor condition of this school, people and SMC apprised me to upgrade infrastructure. The school had leaking roofs, very difficult for children. It is not a Government school but when I apprised CM he immediately agreed to help and support the school with funding and I thank him for sanctioning funds through CMSDF. Through CMSDF I am able to take up many welfare projects with support from CM. I am glad CM has continuously supported Gambegre,” she said.
The MLA urged teachers to provide a quality learning environment and called on parents and students to cooperate in improving educational outcomes.
She also urged the Chief Minister to support more higher secondary schools in rural Garo Hills, pointing out that the absence of such institutions often forces students to drop out after completing Class X. She also reiterated her request for a gallery at the Rimrangpara school playground.
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