Shillong, Sep 2: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday attended the District Talent Event 2026 under SPARK (School Programmes in Articulation, Resilience and Kindness) in Tura.
In his address, Sangma said SPARK is an investment in human capabilities that allows youth to make use of academic and physical infrastructure built by the State.
“A student may know an answer perfectly well and still struggle to ask a question, explain an idea, work in a group or recover from failure. These rarely show up on a mark sheet, yet they shape how far a young person goes,” he said.
He said SPARK began in 2024 as a pilot covering 5,143 students in 25 government schools, 73 per cent girls, and was later supported under SSA across 28 campuses reaching over 8,000 students. It was recognised by the Ministry of Education as a Best NEP Practice.
Scaled up as a State-funded multi-year programme for Classes 6 to 10, SPARK as of August 31, 2026 has directly reached 12,078 students across 53 benchmark campuses in all 12 districts — 6,592 girls and 5,486 boys. Over 20,000 students have benefited so far.
SPARK for teachers is a key pillar, with 526 teachers from 287 schools completing 30-hour semi-residential training.
“Teachers spoke about reconnecting with their purpose and rediscovering communication and relationships in classrooms,” the Chief Minister said, adding programmes like SPARK prepare children to adapt as technology transforms work.
He cited the STAR sports programme where screening of 24,000 children in 5 years found 10 in the top 1 per cent globally, with one rural child clocking 10.8 seconds in 100m barefoot. “Raw talent is distributed across every corner. Opportunity must reach children where they are,” he said.
Sangma said the government will sustain SPARK as a long-term programme.
