SHILLONG, June 19: Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma on Thursday acknowledged the remarkable improvement in this year’s Meghalaya Teachers’ Eligibility Test (MTET) results, stating that the state was finally reaping the rewards of sustained efforts to strengthen its education sector.
The minister noted that not only the MTET, but also the SSLC results had shown significant improvement, reflecting a broader trend of academic progress in the State. He attributed this to the hard work of candidates, as well as the combined efforts of the government and key stakeholders.
“It is true that they have done far better than in previous years. Not only the MTET, but even the SSLC results have improved. We are happy to see things getting better, and that candidates are working harder. This is the cumulative result of everyone’s efforts,” he said.
Sangma explained that a revision in the qualifying criteria also contributed to the success. The pass mark, previously set at 80 out of 150, was reduced to 68. For Scheduled Tribe candidates, the relaxation was even more significant.
“Earlier, candidates had to score 80 marks out of 150. This time, we reduced the qualifying mark to 68. For ST candidates, the reduction was even greater. Maybe that helped more deserving candidates qualify,” he said.
Highlighting the broader goal of MTET reform, Sangma stressed that the objective has always been to address the acute shortage of trained and qualified teachers across the state. “The bottom line is that we face a shortage of trained educators. To ensure qualified teachers, the MTET is essential and we are committed to building a pool of qualified teaching professionals,” he stated.
He expressed confidence that the increased number of successful candidates would help Meghalaya overcome its long-standing teacher deficit. “Many have cleared the exam this year, and that will strengthen our education workforce. This way, the state will no longer face a crisis. We will have enough qualified teachers to meet our needs,” he said.
Reaffirming his optimism, he added, “There was a crisis yesterday. From now on, we will not face a workforce crisis. We will have qualified teachers.”
The 2025 MTET results indeed reflect an unprecedented improvement. According to data released by the Directorate of Educational Research and Training (DERT) on Wednesday, 61.56% of candidates at the lower primary level and 63.23% at the upper primary level passed the test — marking the highest pass percentages since 2019.
Of the 13,940 candidates who appeared for the lower primary exam, 8,581 passed. At the upper primary level, 7,674 of 12,136 candidates qualified. This marks a dramatic improvement from last year’s dismal results, where only 8.11% (lower primary) and 9.27% (upper primary) candidates cleared the exam.
As the Education department continues to streamline recruitment and deployment, the improved MTET results have injected fresh optimism into Meghalaya’s mission to ensure quality education across all districts.
