Shillong: Former Education Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh is urging the public to view Meghalaya's consistently low Performance Grading Index rankings as a constructive prompt for reform. The index, managed by the Union Ministry of Education, evaluates states based on infrastructure, governance, access, and learning outcomes.
Lyngdoh rejected the idea that the rankings reflect only government failure. She emphasized that improvement requires a collaborative effort from teachers, parents, and the broader community. “I do not criticise the agencies that prepare these rankings because they assess states based on specific benchmarks. If Meghalaya is at the bottom, it gives us an opportunity to re-examine ourselves and identify the gaps that need correction,” Lyngdoh said.
Highlighting infrastructure growth, the former minister noted that the state now supports over 9,000 schools. She pointed to the success of students from rural areas and local institutions like Gorkha Pathshala Higher Secondary School as evidence of progress, despite lingering issues such as teacher absenteeism and schools with zero enrollment.
To move forward, Lyngdoh advocated for the adoption of National Education Policy 2020 reforms and an increased focus on vocational training. She defended the state's CM IMPACT Guidebook initiative and stressed that success in professional fields like medicine and engineering remains a positive indicator. Lyngdoh concluded that while the current metrics are concerning, she remains optimistic about the state's educational future through shared responsibility.
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