SHILLONG, March 10: Education Minister Rakkam A. Sangma said addressing the salary and other issues of the teachers would be one of his priorities on the road to revamping the department.
“I have made a commitment to address the issue of the teachers. I have asked Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma to help me out and the first thing I discussed with him was to resolve the issue of the teachers’ salaries once and for all,” he told reporters here on Friday.
He said the Education Department needs an overhaul.
“Being the son of a teacher, I know the underlying problem and issues of the department. I am also fully aware it will not be possible for me to resolve all its issues,” Sangma said.
He, however, said the department has many good officers who are ready to work for changing the education system in the state.
He said education needs special focus since it involves building the future of the students. “The future of the state will be dictated by the kind of education system we have,” he added.
Sangma said there is a need to create a platform for ensuring quality education for students. The platform entails better infrastructure, syllabus, trained teachers, and care for the teaching community besides the students, he said.
“I do not agree that the education system has not improved because of too many schools. There could be multiple factors,” he said.
Pointing out that teachers in private schools produce good results despite less pay than their counterparts in government schools, he said the major drawbacks in the education system would be studied for a possible solution.
“I would like to take everyone on board in this journey to reform the education system, whether it is the MLAs, teachers, pressure groups, students, academicians and other stakeholders. We need to inspire and motivate our teachers and students,” Sangma said.
He insisted the state still has the potential to become an education hub of the country.
“The MDA 1.0 government tried its best to reform the education system in the state
Sangma also stated that the MDA 1.0 government tried its best to reform the education system in the State. “We need to understand that the government works under various constraints,” he said.
