SHILLONG, March 31 - More than 100 government-aided private schools in Meghalaya will be upgraded to national standards under a project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The project ia also aimed at improving the overall learning environment for nearly 20,000 poor students, 40 per cent of which will be girls and also provide training for 3,500 under-qualified teachers.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Monday laid the foundation stone for construction of Pomlum Higher Secondary School building at 7th Mile in Upper Shillong, which is among the beneficiary schools.
The ADB funded project �Supporting Human Capital Development in Meghalaya� is the first of its kind in India which focuses on improvement of secondary education and skill development.
The Chief Minister said that in such externally aided projects, the funding agency looks at the credit worthiness of the State. He added �when we took up this social sector project, which is the first in the country, we got all the support we needed.�
An amount of 100 million US dollars has been approved and sanctioned by the ADB, while the State Government will fund 25 million US dollars of the total project cost.
In addition to that two million US dollars will be given by Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction for capacity building of civil society organisations and government departments and agencies in the State.
�Since the project has to be completed in five years, we have to move fast,� he said, adding that all challenges in the social sector were being clubbed together under this project.
The Chief Minister stated that none can develop in isolation these days. �We need to equip our children to face the challenges before them and become competent global citizens,� he said.
Sangma also said it is important these days to look at all available streams of education and skill development so that the State would have professionals in different fields.
