TMC points to total failure of Conrad-led MDA Government
SHILLONG, June 19: The downward spiral of Meghalaya’s education system, as revealed by its lowest rank in the latest Performing Grade Index (PGI) for school education 2023-24, has evinced predictable and uninspiring responses from the state government.
While Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma tried to explain the state’s poor performance by taking refuge of technicalities and structural challenges, the opposition TMC accused the government of shortcomings in delivery and intent.
Reacting to the PGI report, Sangma explained that the data considered for the ranking was based on outdated figures and does not accurately reflect the improvements currently underway.
He pointed out a fundamental problem in how Meghalaya’s schools are categorised, which leads to skewed data representation.
Sangma also highlighted the lack of electricity in many schools, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas. The PGI still penalises primary schools in Shillong for not having electric fans or power connections, even though they operate from a single building, he said.
Sangma acknowledged the poor infrastructure in many parts of the state and said steps are being taken to correct these issues.
He said the government is planning to bring the various categories of schools under one umbrella, and consultations with stakeholders are ongoing.
He believes that if the structural classification is streamlined, Meghalaya could see a dramatic improvement in its PGI score.
“If everything is 100% in terms of toilet, library, water tank, etc., we can be somewhere,” he said.
The government is committed to infrastructure transformation, which will help improve PGI performance in the future, he said, adding that the MDA Government is actively working to rectify any technical anomalies that may be contributing to the state’s low PGI score.
TMC leader Richard Marak, however, said the pathetic PGI ranking for Meghalaya was proof of the total failure of the Conrad Sangma-led MDA Government.
Marak argued that the recent increase in matriculation pass percentages is a result of mass promotions, intentional dilution of academic standards, and distribution of government-sponsored guidebooks, not genuine improvement.
He argued that artificial numbers cannot cover structural collapse, and that the PGI tells the real story of understaffed schools, demoralised teachers, broken infrastructure, and poor governance. Marak also highlighted the state’s attempt to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 without proper preparation, including proper teacher training and curriculum rollout.
The TMC leader asked the government to acknowledge the PGI findings honestly and demanded a white paper on teacher recruitment, infrastructure, fund utilisation, and NEP preparedness.
Marak also asked the government to stop privatising public schools and colleges and ensure that the December 2025 SSLC batch is not penalised due to poor planning and lack of NEP transition support.