SHILLONG : UDP chief and Cabinet Minister Metbah Lyngdoh on Friday admitted that Meghalaya’s performance in the Performance Grading Index (PGI) remains a serious concern, but asserted that steps initiated by the government to improve the education sector would take time to produce visible results.
Speaking to reporters, Lyngdoh said the issue has existed for many years and was inherited from previous systemic shortcomings in the education system.
“As far as the index is concerned, it raises a serious concern and this has really been going on for quite some time,” Lyngdoh said.
However, he stressed that the government has already started implementing various initiatives and that some positive changes are becoming visible on the ground.
“A lot of initiatives have been initiated by the government and we have seen results also on the ground,” he added.
The senior UDP leader said Meghalaya’s education challenges are deeply rooted in structural problems that developed over decades.
“I have been mentioning from time to time that this has been a problem that we have inherited for quite a number of years,” he said.
Lyngdoh also pointed out the existence of multiple categories of schools across the state, saying this reflects gaps in planning during earlier phases of educational expansion.
“There are different types of 10, 15, 20 categories of schools in our state. Why so? Because a lot of things were missed out when the government initiated the setting up of new schools in the state,” he said.
He further highlighted low salaries of teachers as one of the major factors affecting the quality of education delivery.
“Even till last month, you have seen teachers getting salaries of Rs 10,000, Rs 20,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000,” Lyngdoh said.
“One can understand how difficult it becomes for the education department in terms of delivering quality education to students across the state,” he added.
While acknowledging that reforms are underway, Lyngdoh cautioned that the benefits would not be immediate.
“The government has taken initiatives but it is yet to bear fruits,” he said.
The Cabinet Minister also clarified that the education portfolio is handled by another minister and said the Education Minister would be in a better position to explain the detailed roadmap and future plans for the department.
Still, Lyngdoh expressed confidence that the steps taken by the government would eventually improve the state’s education system.
“I believe that whatever steps they have taken will definitely bear fruits, if not immediately, then in the years to come,” he added.