Tura, May 23:The All Garo Hills SSA School Teachers Association (AGHSSASTA-CB) today organised a grand honouring ceremony in recognition of the efforts, visionary leadership, and unwavering commitment of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma towards uplifting SSA teachers and strengthening the education sector across the state.
The programme was held at Matchakolgre LP School Playground in Tura and was attended by teachers, education officials, community leaders, and members of the public from across Garo Hills.
A major highlight of the programme was the launch of key education and governance initiatives aimed at modernising administrative systems and improving educational outcomes across the state.
The Chief Minister formally launched the MBOSE E-Office Management System and the Accounting System, a unified dashboard designed to strengthen financial management, transparency, and institutional accountability.
The programme also marked the launch of the Chief Minister’s Leadership in Education and Development (CM LEAD) Fellowship, a state-led initiative envisioned to bring young professionals into the education system to support innovation, coordination, and implementation of priority initiatives across Meghalaya’s 12 districts.
The CM LEAD Fellowship seeks to engage passionate young leaders who can contribute fresh ideas and energy towards transforming learning experiences for children studying in approximately 8,000 government and government-aided schools across the state. Fellows will work closely with the Education Department on the ground to strengthen implementation, governance, and educational delivery mechanisms.
A significant highlight of the programme was the flag-off of 27 vehicles by the Chief Minister, aimed at strengthening field-level monitoring and improving the mobility of education officials across districts.
The initiative aligns with the government’s focus on enhancing grassroots supervision and ensuring more effective implementation of education policies on the ground.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma expressed gratitude to the SSA Teachers’ Association for organising the felicitation programme, stating, “Many times, the hard work of officials and teachers goes unrecognised and unappreciated despite the immense responsibilities they shoulder.”
Reaffirming that education remains one of the highest priorities of the Government, he recalled the lifelong commitment of late P. A. Sangma towards the sector, saying, “Late P. A. Sangma always accorded the greatest priority to education. Even during his student days, he used to tutor others and conduct small classes. He would often say that teaching is one of the most satisfying professions.”
He added, “Based on these principles, we are trying to bring reforms and meaningful changes in the education sector.”
Describing the education system as highly complex, the Chief Minister observed, “The education sector has different layers, categories, sub-categories, groups, and sections, and therefore reforms are never easy.”
Speaking on the long-standing issues of SSA teachers, he stated, “I have been trying to resolve the issues of SSA teachers since my days as a Member of Parliament, and I have raised these concerns a number of times in Parliament. I understand that the problems faced by SSA teachers are not only about salary, but also about dignity and security.”
Congratulating the Education Department and MBOSE on the successful SSLC examination results, including the recently declared supplementary results, he said, “The improvement in pass percentage has been possible because of different interventions undertaken by the Government, including initiatives like the CM IMPACT guidebooks.”
Emphasising conceptual learning, the Chief Minister remarked, “There is a big difference between simply knowing the answer and truly understanding the concept.” He further stressed, “I hope that slowly and steadily we all will work together to ensure that quality, not just quantity, of our education improves. Not just marks and pass percentages, but real knowledge, conceptual understanding, and learning outcomes among children must improve.”
Highlighting the importance of grassroots monitoring in education, he stated, “The Education Department has ensured that vehicles are provided to SDSEOs and other officials who earlier had to use their personal vehicles to travel across different parts of the State.”
He further added, “Surprise visits must be made to schools. Officials must interact with students and identify issues relating to infrastructure, furniture, teaching materials, or teaching quality. Unless we understand the problems clearly, we cannot solve them effectively.”
The Chief Minister further emphasised, “Today we are reforming education, spending money, creating infrastructure, and providing materials, but real improvement in quality must happen at the micro level — not just at the school level, but at the level of every individual student.” He stressed, “Every student must be given special attention.”
Encouraging teachers to renew their sense of purpose, he said, “I hope that when you wake up every morning, your first thought is not about the association, salary issues, or who is visiting your district. The thought should be about how to improve every single child in your classroom.” He urged, “Ask yourself every morning what more you can do for the child whose Mathematics is weak or whose English needs improvement.”
He further observed, “Until and unless there is a change in mindset and a deeper sense of purpose about why we are here as teachers, transformation in education cannot truly happen.”
Speaking on service and responsibility, the Chief Minister stated, “I always believe that we are all born to serve. I am born to serve the people, and each one of you is born to serve the children you teach.”
Assuring continued government support, he said, “We will continue to work together to resolve as many of your problems as possible.” He added, “I believe in honest words. I believe in acting on those honest words. I believe in delivering what we promise, and I believe in remaining humble while doing so.”
Concluding his address, the Chief Minister thanked the Education Department and all stakeholders for their dedication and appealed to teachers to continue supporting the Government in important exercises such as the Census and related educational surveys, stating that such efforts ultimately contribute towards serving the people and strengthening the State.
Addressing the gathering, Vijay Kumar Mantri, Commissioner and Secretary, Education Department, Government of Meghalaya, highlighted the ongoing transformation within the education sector under the leadership of the Chief Minister.
He spoke on the government’s focus on strengthening governance systems, improving transparency, leveraging technology, and creating better opportunities for both teachers and students.
Meanwhile, Labingstone G. Momin, President of AGHSSASTA-CB, expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for prioritising the welfare of teachers and continuously investing in the education sector.
He acknowledged the government’s efforts in addressing long-standing concerns of SSA teachers and improving the overall educational ecosystem in Meghalaya.
Earlier, the programme commenced with an opening prayer by Gilbirth Ch. Marak, Vice President of AGHSSASTA-CB, followed by a welcome address delivered by Benabith Ch. Marak, Secretary of the Association, and the presentation of traditional Chinbera/Chuni.
The event also featured vibrant cultural performances, including Wangala dance and traditional cultural presentations by SSA teachers from Ampati, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and unity of the teaching community across Garo Hills.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Nilloy G. Momin, Adviser of AGHSSASTA-CB, followed by a benediction prayer by Bethsildha K. Sangma.
