Shillong, Sept. 5: State Level Teachers’ Day was celebrated here today at U Soso Tham Auditorium which was graced by the Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, as the Chief Guest and Minister, Education, Rakkam A Sangma, as the Guest of Honor. In his address, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, expressing his gratitude and respect to the teachers of the state said, “We are here to honor you and thank you for the great dedication, sacrifices and contributions you make to ensure that the future of our children and the state is secure and bright.”
The Chief Minister referring to a famous quote that underlines the importance of cultivating people when the vison it for eternity, said that cultivating people is done by teachers who equip the students with knowledge, wisdom and education. “It is the thousands of teachers in the state who is cultivating our future generation and the vision for our state, and the government will leave no stone unturned to improve the overall education sector,” he said.
He also said that there is a need to have a positive and healthy competition among schools at the district levels. “Schools based on certain criteria and not only just on results can be awarded and they can in turn share their best practices with other schools creating a positive environment where they support each other.” He also said that exchange programs between different schools across different districts can foster understanding of cultures besides giving them exposure to the world outside their own environment. The Chief Minister also highlighted the necessity of including local languages up to the fifth class to promote local languages.
He also reminded of the need to collectively promote the goal of education and said, “The government has been very focused and we remain committed to improving education with making investments in education addressing infrastructure issues, modernizing and streamlining curricula and teachers training for their professional development but this is an ecosystem where every stakeholder, the teachers, the parents, the students, the government and the officials have a role to play.”
The Chief Minister in his concluding remarks urged the teachers to be driven by purpose to build responsible, wise and conscious citizens.
Earlier, the Chief Minister also launched the CM IMPACT program. To address the issue of low pass percentages in Meghalaya’s SSLC exams, the Chief Minister has initiated a campaign titled the Chief Minister’s Initiative to Maximize Pass Achievement and Classroom Triumph or CM IMPACT. This initiative will provide comprehensive support to students, teachers, schools, parents, and districts to enhance SSLC outcomes.
Key components of CM IMPACT include the free distribution of guidebooks for students, professional development support for teachers, additional guidebooks for teachers, targeted assistance for underperforming schools, parental involvement, and district-level oversight.
As part of this initiative guidebooks for teachers were distributed free of cost to all teachers of Class 10 students regardless of whether they are from private or government schools.
The Chief Minister and the dignitaries also launched the Curio Bee’s Learning Box, a Teaching Learning Materials for developing Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) skills for classes Nursery to 3, Aged from 3-9 years and also launched the Science Discovery Kit, an Experiential Science Kit for young inventors from classes 6 to 8. Booklets by SSA/DERT and PM POSHAN were also released during the occasion.
The State Awards 2024 to teachers for their distinguished and meritorious service were also given by the Chief Guest and the dignitaries. Fourteen teachers from different districts were felicitated and awarded during the occasion. Under the Special Awards 2024, the District School Education Officer, East Khasi Hills, Shillong awarded Cathrene Nongrum, Assistant Teacher, School & Centre for the Hearing Handicapped Children, Shillong.
A number of song and dance performances by students of various schools were among the major attractions of the day. Chief Secretary, D P Wahlang, Commissioner & Secretary, Education, Vijay Kumar Mantri, Advisor, Education, H M Shangpliang and Director, DSEL, Swapnil Tembe were among the distinguished audience present.
