Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday said that the State government is making a lot of investment in the education sector.
Sangma was addressing a gathering during the inauguration of the new Building of Mount Sinai Secondary School, Tura which was constructed under “Supporting Human Capital Development Project in Meghalaya” funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The Chief Minister said that there are about 2000 Government Lower Primary schools in the state without proper infrastructure and basic facilities and therefore, the government is trying to take up these schools in a phased manner and ensure that new building come up for which an amount of Rs 400 crore has been sanctioned in this financial year and about 800 LP schools will be included in this project funded by the State Government.
In addition to these, the Chief Minister informed that colleges also require building and therefore, new buildings for Baghmara, Williamnagar, Rongjeng, Patharkmah, Sohra colleges have also been sanctioned with an amount of Rs. 10 crores for infrastructure development.
Referring to the challenges faced with regard to the pass percentage in Garo Hills region and huge gap created between higher and higher and technical education, the Chief Minister said that even though the students pass the SSLC examinations however, as many as one half of the students do not make it to higher education.
“Therefore, everyone including teachers, students, parents, concerned officials should realise their part in imparting quality and value education and also to create a change in the system in order to make them responsible citizens and play a constructive role in their future career,” Sangma said.
With regard to the “One Talent, One Skill” Youth Policy, he said that there are many talented youth in the region and these talent would be groomed in a professional manner by professionals and provide opportunity for them to learn the skill and at the same time follow their passion, the Chief Minister said and added that even schools can become a service provider by providing different skills to the students.
Further, looking at a situation ten years from now and since there is a sudden rush of the youth going outside the state for jobs, he said that the State should prepare in advance to provide jobs for them and therefore, the government is promoting entrepreneurship in the region and thereby involve private sectors and make them part of this process to make them job creators and not job seekers in the region.
