SHILLONG: Meghalaya is losing valuable marks in the Performance Grading Index (PGI) not because schools are underperforming, but because many achievements are never properly reported, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said on Friday.
Speaking at Sohkha during the foundation stone-laying ceremony of a new government higher secondary school building, Sangma said the state’s PGI ranking fails to reflect the actual progress made in the education sector. He said schools and education authorities often miss out on easy marks simply because activities and facilities are not documented or submitted correctly.”Many of the indicators are simple. If schools report what they are already doing, our scores will improve,” Sangma said. He pointed to examples such as reading corners, awareness programmes on cyber safety and other school activities, saying these could earn valuable marks if properly recorded.
According to the Chief Minister, Meghalaya has lost nearly 100 marks in the PGI because of weak reporting and poor documentation rather than poor performance.Calling it a “low-hanging opportunity”, Sangma urged school heads and officials of the Education Department to pay greater attention to timely data submission. He said improving the reporting system alone could significantly improve Meghalaya’s national ranking. Highlighting the government’s work in the education sector, Sangma said more than 2,000 schools have been upgraded during the last eight years with major investments in infrastructure. He also said the SSLC pass percentage has crossed 95 per cent in recent years, reflecting steady improvement in learning outcomes.
The Chief Minister said the government will continue investing in school infrastructure, connectivity and access to quality education while ensuring that the state’s progress is accurately reflected in future national assessments.