SHILLONG : Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar has questioned the spending priorities of some families, pointing to the pressure parents face in paying school and college fees while some students use mobile phones costing more than ₹1 lakh.
Dhar raised the issue while speaking at the inauguration of the new school building of St Jerome Higher Secondary School at Nongmensong on August 14, where he also called for closer cooperation between parents, teachers, school authorities and the government to improve education.
Dhar cited an instance of a young woman who approached him seeking ₹15,000 to pay her college fees while carrying a mobile phone that, according to him, cost around ₹1.10 lakh. He said the contrast was worrying and urged families and students to think carefully about their priorities.
His remarks came during a wider discussion on the difficulties faced by educational institutions, including the shortage of classrooms and teachers as student numbers increase.
“Sometimes when we have a number of students, we are having a less number of classrooms. And sometimes when we have a number of classrooms, we are having a less number of teachers,” Dhar said, describing the situation as a common problem that requires cooperation rather than isolated action.
He said responsibility for improving education cannot rest with the government alone and called for schools, parents and communities to share responsibility and learn from past shortcomings. “We are here not to teach from the past; we are always correcting from the past,” Dhar said. “We are here to help things, we are here to improve things, we are here to help each other, and we are here to teach the children and students in the right direction.”
The event also brought attention to the continuing infrastructure needs of St Jerome Higher Secondary School, which has served Nongmensong for about four decades and caters largely to families from economically weaker sections.
According to the school management, the institution currently has around 650 students from the nursery level to higher secondary classes. The management said the new building was necessary to accommodate the growing student population and has sought financial support for extending the structure by another two floors.
The school described itself as one of the oldest institutions in the area and said it has served underprivileged communities that migrated to Shillong in search of employment.
Dhar also referred to the school’s focus on poorer families. He said Shillong Archbishop Victor Lyngdoh had told him before his address that the institution was meant particularly for people from economically weaker sections.
East Shillong MLA Dr M. Ampareen Lyngdoh announced an additional ₹3 lakh from the constituency’s development funds for the school. She also praised the teachers for their role in supporting students from different economic backgrounds.
“An institution becomes famous by the commitment of its staff and faculty,” Lyngdoh said, adding that the school had provided opportunities for poorer students to receive education.
Lyngdoh also pointed to another infrastructure issue inside the campus. She said an electricity line passing through the institution should eventually be removed because of the safety risks it could pose to students and teachers.
The new school building itself was constructed with ₹15 lakh in financial assistance from Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma following his visit to the institution in 2022. The project also received support from Lyngdoh, Dhar and the parish.
Dhar announced another ₹10 lakh towards the second phase of construction, while the school management appealed for further assistance to complete the proposed extension.
Beyond the school building, Dhar spoke about the wider role of the Nongmensong community, saying the area had seen positive changes in safety, discipline, organisation and social work since the establishment of the parish.
He also said he was working with Pynthorumkhrah MLA A.L. Hek and the Nongmensong Dorbar Shnong on an ongoing drinking water project intended to provide piped water across the locality.
