Education Minister Rakkam A. Sangma responded to opposition criticism regarding Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s photo on the cover of the “CM Impact Guidebook,” advising those bothered by the image to cover it with brown paper. He stressed that attention should be directed toward the guidebook’s content, which is designed to help students and improve education outcomes.
“This is the mindset of our people, and we should change it. They should stop looking at the cover. We have designed this textbook to highlight the content. I advise those who don’t want to take pride in your Chief Minister, those opposition leaders, who do not want to see your Chief Minister, to get brown paper and cover the book, but please don’t cover the contents. I advise everyone, don’t look at the cover—look at the content. Forget about the cover,” he said.
He emphasized that the guidebook was created to support students, particularly in districts with low pass percentages. Many schools and institutions face challenges such as poor teaching quality and lack of proper resources. The guidebook, he assured, was part of the government’s efforts to help improve student performance.
“There are a large number of students struggling to cross 30% marks. This will definitely help them. We are currently focusing on improving the pass percentage and finding ways to help our students. In rural areas, 70 out of 100 students fail each year; as a government, something has to be done. The board exam will be held twice to make it easier for them, and we are implementing more ideas for the benefit of students,” Sangma explained.
He concluded by emphasizing the importance of focusing on the initiatives designed to help students, rather than being distracted by the cover image, noting that these efforts are essential in addressing the lack of quality educational materials in many schools.