SHILLONG, MAY 1: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday said the acknowledgement by teachers of the government’s decision to implement a structured pay framework was his “greatest satisfaction,” adding that the financial outlay “cannot be judged in terms of the rupees we spent” but in “the lives that we transformed.”
He was addressing an honouring ceremony organised by the Meghalaya SSA Schools Association (MSSASA) and Meghalaya 4th Teachers Association to recognise the state government’s move to enhance service protection and financial stability for SSA and 4th teachers.
Calling it one of his “most satisfying days” in public service, the Chief Minister said the true measure of the decision lay in its human impact.
“For me personally, this may be one of the most satisfying days in the last many years of working for the people and serving the people because it is days like these that we work towards and we strive towards,” Sangma said.
“I have always believe that the greatest satisfaction for me is to be able to bring a smile to my people’s faces and today there are 23000 smiles and the family members put together maybe a lakh smile that are there today and of course, the students if we put them together there will be many-many lakhs smiles that we are being able to achieve and that is the true satisfaction for any leader,” he said.
Sangma said the decision carried heavy fiscal weight but its value was not monetary.
“I wish I could show you the pictures of the moment when we actually took that decision… you should have seen the face and the tension on the finance department’s face,” he said, referring to the cabinet approval.
“This financial impact that we are going to have cannot be judged in terms of the rupees we spent. It can only be judged in terms of the lives that we transformed, it can only be judged in terms of how we will take Meghalaya state forward, it can only be judged through how we will be able to create more responsible, qualified and better citizens for our state and for country,” he said.
“If you look at money and try to value or put a cost in it from a monetary point of view I think we are missing the picture and we are missing the point, we are missing the purpose and the goal,” he added.
Expressing gratitude to the associations, Sangma said public appreciation for political decisions was uncommon.
“I must take this opportunity to really express my sincere gratitude to all of you. Very rarely does it happen for politicians especially that we are honored and we are thanked for whatever we do,” he said.
“But as Christians we always believe that kindness and gratitude is something that should be part of as human beings and I am so happy that today the Meghalaya SSA School Association as well as the 4th Teachers Association in thousands, I was surprised to see the number of teachers out hear,” he said.
“On behalf of my entire cabinet, I would like to thank you for organizing this wonderful programme,” he added.
Recalling the process, the Chief Minister said the outcome followed years of struggle.
“While I say that what we are experiencing today and how we have reach here today as has been seen in the video clip that we just saw has been a very long difficult journey. We have been through alot. you have sacrificed alot. You have gone through a lot of pain and you have gone through alot of struggle,” he said.
“I am only happy that I could be part of this journey with you from 2016 when I was a member of parliament till the point today when we are actually able to come to some kind of solution to ensure that the service that are being given by our teachers is recognized. The dignity that you deserve is given, the financial stability that your family and individually at your level that you deserved is being given,” he said.
Sangma thanked multiple stakeholders for enabling the decision.
“I also would like to thank the education department as this would not have been possible without the hardwork put in by the minister’s concerned and the officials concerned. The problem that was infront of us was very complex and hence past governments have difficulties in finding a solution,” he said.
“But it is the will, it is the decision and desire to find the solution and the commitment and consistency to continue inspite of all odds has made today a possibility,” he added.
“I also thank your association, your presidents, your secretaries, the members what they have been able to achieve requires alot of patience,” he said.
“I thank the authors of our education policy. Way back in 2019 those who had created the actual vision and road map of how education should move forward. I thank those members. I thank the members of the education commission, who again brought the policy, the desire to take education forward,” he said.
Urging teachers to centre decisions on students, the Chief Minister said systemic change depends on priorities.
“I would like to urge our teachers that at the end of the day, education is a very complex sector… I believe that the only time when education can actualy start changing is when we put the child infront of us and ask ourselves the question what is good for this child,” he said.
“I believe that if all the teachers and the parents, the officials and the politicians if we were to start putting the child first in all the decisions we make only then will education start transforming,” he said.
Linking education to the state’s development goals, Sangma said progress would not sustain without it.
“We aspire to see Meghalaya as one of the top ten states in the country. That dream cannot be fulfilled if education is not kept as our priority,” he said.
“If education does not move forward that dream of ours, we may reach it but it will be a very short-lived dream, we will not be able to sustain it, we will not be able to bring that transformation and the change we desire to see. Hence, education is and will always be the top priority of our government,” he added.
