Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma wants results. On October 13, he met the first group of Chief Minister's Leadership in Education and Development (CMLEAD) fellows at his Shillong residence. Alongside Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui, Sangma handed out laptops to the new recruits. He told them to stop treating the program like a simple office gig. He specifically warned them: “Don't just move around with a laptop.”
The CMLEAD initiative places young professionals in all 12 districts to boost student outcomes. These fellows will embed with Samagra Shiksha, the Directorate of Educational Research and Training, and various district offices. Their job is to design and run priority reforms. Sangma pushed for strict accountability. He wants the Education Department to set measurable targets and rigid reporting standards for every participant.
The work must be hands-on. Each fellow must visit at least one school every week to track furniture, toilets, and actual learning quality. They need to talk to students and report the truth. Sangma stressed that officials often miss the real story on the ground. He expects these fellows to act as his eyes and ears. Infrastructure is useless if it does not help a child learn.
Community involvement is the next priority. Sangma directed fellows to recruit church pastors, village headmen, students, and local organizations. He wants volunteers to adopt schools or teach English for an hour or two. Fellows should expect tough postings in remote areas. Sangma urged them to view these obstacles as openings for change. He invited them to pitch new policy ideas and embrace the challenge of service.
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