Education minister dismissed VPP’s allegation of privatization of schools through MEG

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 21, 2025

Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma has dismissed allegations that the proposed Meghalaya Education Grant (MEG) aims to privatize schools and colleges. He accused the Voice of the People Party (VPP) of contradicting themselves on the issue.

“I wish they (VPP) should come and discuss with me or our officials to know the first hand information (about the proposed MEG). Why they contradict themselves? Yesterday, the same people are saying that the government is doing nothing to improve the educational institutions and solving all issues. Knowing all the challenges, the state government is initiating certain process and policies. Next day the same people are saying the government is going to privatize. In fact, they are contradicting themselves,” Sangma told reporters on Monday while reacting to a recent statement made by the VPP’s spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh.

Sangma explained that the government’s initiative seeks to streamline the education system by reducing the number of categories of schools and teachers from 14 to three: government, grant-in-aid, and private schools. 

According to him, the proposal aims to provincialize deficit institutions, where the government already bears the salaries of sanctioned posts.

The minister cited examples of prominent colleges, such as St Edmunds and St Anthony’s, which receive significant government support for salaries. 

He stated that the government wants to take over and provincialize these institutions, rather than privatize them.

“Therefore, the government is initiating the process. We are at the discussion stage. We are holding discussion with all deficit institutions because the posts are sanctioned by the government and salaries to teachers are being paid by the government,” Sangma said adding “Therefore, the government is throwing the idea to them will you allow us to provincialize your institutions. If they agree, government wants to take over. That means instead of privatizing, government is going to provincialize them.” 

The minister mentioned that a committee has been constituted to meet with stakeholders and managing committees to discuss the proposal. 

He however stated that big institutions like St Edmunds and St Anthony’s college may not agree for provincialization. According to him, the government is extending financial support of Rs 23 crore annually to both the colleges for payment of salaries to lecturers (70-80 in St Edmunds and 100 plus in St Anthony’s).

To a query, the minister maintained that the decision to provincialize institutions will be left to the institutions themselves.