Meghalaya Trains 65 Educators to Lead Mental Health Initiative

Shillong: Sixty-five master trainers are heading home to seven districts across Meghalaya. They finished a six-day program at the Meghalaya Teacher Training Academy in Shillong. The session ran from August 3 to August 8. These trainers will now reach 1,729 teachers working in government and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan schools.

The group represents East Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi, East Jaintia Hills, South West Khasi Hills, West Garo Hills, East Garo Hills, and North Garo Hills. They spent their week running mock sessions and classroom simulations. They also mastered peer-learning techniques. The training covers mental health, life skills, financial literacy, and sexual and reproductive health.

MTTA, Magic Bus India Foundation, and WorldBeing India led the technical workshops. The goal is moving past traditional textbooks. Teachers need to handle emotional well-being and responsible decision-making. David M. Nongrum, an Associate Professor at DERT and Additional Director of MTTA, says the move strengthens state capacity. He stated that the training aims to support "more inclusive and learner-centred classrooms" through practical facilitation skills.

Caraline Y. Kharmalki, the Nodal Officer for MPOWER, noted the trainers showed significant commitment. Teachers will now use these lessons to foster safer environments for students. The program concluded with post-training tests and the setup of district-level rollout plans.