Meghalaya education system cannot be judged by rankings alone: Conrad Sangma defends state’s PGI performance

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has defended the state government over Meghalaya’s performance in the Ministry of Education’s Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 report, stating that the quality of education cannot be assessed solely through rankings as multiple technical and structural factors influence the evaluation process.

Speaking in Shillong, Sangma said Meghalaya’s education system differs significantly from many other states, particularly in how schools are structured and registered.

He explained that in several parts of Meghalaya, multiple schools operate from the same building or campus but function as separate institutions with different Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) numbers.

“Though schools may operate from the same premises, they are assessed individually, which impacts Meghalaya’s ranking,” the Chief Minister said.

Sangma said the government has been implementing education reforms over the last few years to strengthen the sector and improve learning outcomes.

Measures undertaken include streamlining teachers’ salary structures, improving school quality and introducing steps aimed at enhancing academic performance.

The Chief Minister claimed that several educational indicators in Meghalaya have already shown improvement.

He said school pass percentages have increased while dropout rates have declined to around six per cent, which he noted is lower than the national average.

Sangma further stated that earlier, a large number of students failed the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination and could not continue higher studies, which adversely affected Meghalaya’s PGI scores as the index considers multiple academic indicators.

He stressed that educational reforms require time before measurable outcomes become visible.

The Chief Minister urged people to wait for the 2025–26 Performance Grading Index report, expressing confidence that ongoing interventions would reflect positively in future assessments.

Sangma said reforms implemented over the last four years are expected to strengthen Meghalaya’s education system and improve the state’s overall educational standing in the coming years.