Meghalaya seeks Centre's support to train 18,000 teachers

Shillong: Meghalaya is facing a significant challenge with approximately 18,000 untrained teachers across government, SSA, ad-hoc, and private institutions.

To address this issue, the state government has approached the central government for assistance in launching online programs similar to the Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed).

Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma claimed that training all untrained teachers at once is not feasible.

He stated that Meghalaya previously offered teacher training through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), but the program was discontinued in 2017.

A Supreme Court ruling in a Uttarakhand case also deemed online D.El.Ed programs are invalid for government recruitment.

However, Sangma clarified that NIOS-qualified D.El.Ed diploma holders already serving in Meghalaya are not affected by this ruling.

To overcome this challenge, the state government has reached out to the Ministry of Education, IGNOU, and NIOS to explore the possibility of re-launching a similar online program.

Sangma said that while training is essential, commitment and dedication are equally important for effective teaching.