SHILLONG, Aug. 9: Sixty-five master trainers from seven districts of Meghalaya have completed training to deliver lessons on mental health, life skills, financial literacy, and sexual and reproductive health to 1,729 teachers in government and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan schools.
The six-day programme was held from August 3 to 8 at the Meghalaya Teacher Training Academy (MTTA) in Malki, Shillong, under the second year of the MPOWER Training of Master Trainers Programme.
Participants came from East Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi, East Jaintia Hills, South West Khasi Hills, West Garo Hills, East Garo Hills and North Garo Hills. They will lead the next phase of teacher training in their respective districts.
The programme focused on subject knowledge and practical training skills, with participants undertaking mock facilitation sessions, classroom simulations, peer-learning exercises and practical demonstrations.
The four thematic areas aim to help teachers address aspects of adolescent development beyond conventional classroom learning, including emotional well-being, responsible decision-making, healthy relationships and financial awareness. Learner-centred and inclusive teaching practices were also introduced.
The programme was supported by MTTA, while technical sessions were conducted by Magic Bus India Foundation and WorldBeing India.
The final day included a post-training assessment and preparation of district-level plans for the next phase of teacher training.
David M Nongrum, Associate Professor, DERT and Additional Director of MTTA, said the training would strengthen teacher capacity and promote more inclusive and learner-centred classrooms.
Caraline Y Kharmalki, Assistant Professor, DERT and Nodal Officer, MPOWER, said the commitment shown by the trainers was encouraging and would help teachers create safe, supportive and engaging learning environments for students.
