Itanagar : To ensure ‘quality’ over ‘quantity’ in the education sector, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday gave a timeline to kickstart the reformation process of all government schools in the state that would be mandatory.

Speaking at the concluding day of the 3-day Chintan Shivir cum Education Conclave – 2024 in Itanagar, Khandu directed elected representatives, deputy commissioners and deputy directors of school education (DDSEs) to review the status of all government-run schools in their respective jurisdictions and finalize a roadmap for reformation by September 15. By October 20, he said all finalized roadmaps should be positively submitted to the Education Department by all district administrations.

“By November, the state government will finalize a roadmap keeping given those submitted by the districts after consultations with all stakeholders. As 2025 begins, we will roll out this roadmap and ensure it is fully implemented in the next five years,” Khandu announced.

He called upon all MLAs, Panchayat leaders, DCs and DDSEs to strictly follow the timeline without fail.

Khandu also drew the attention of the education department towards the National Education Policy (NEP), which as per directions of the Prime Minister’s Office has to be implemented by all states by 2030.

“It’s time for us to pull up our socks. We hardly have 6 years at hand,” he reminded.  Arunachal CM Khandu expressed concern over the poor quality of education in government schools and called for a drastic change.

“Regular government teachers receive the best salaries compared to teachers in private and NGO-run schools. Despite it, it is quite incomprehensible how the quality of education is so bad in government schools,” he expressed surprise.

He stressed that this must change and emphasized that a time should come in future when children of politicians and government officials are studying in government schools.

Commending the education department headed by Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona and his Advisor Mutchu Mithi for the timely conclave, the Chief Minister expressed hope that the outcome would be incredibly valuable and provide insightful inputs to enhance Arunachal’s education system.

“Our goal is to elevate the standard of government schools to a level where every parent feels proud and eager to send their children to these institutions. We envision a future where government schools are the preferred choice for all, regardless of socio-economic background,” he added.