Teaching: Is it just another mode of employment ?

KOHIMA, September 4 : Celebration of Teachers’ Day in honour of the invaluable guidance and their altruistic services in the field of education is most befitting. Teachers play a crucial role in the formative years of our life. They not only teach us the lessons of the prescribed syllabus, but in the process mould and shape the course of our future. The Department of School Education, Nagaland is organising a State Level Teachers’ Day celebration at NBCC Convention Centre, Kohima with eminent personalities, who will be addressing the teachers and give away awards too. The celebration also comes with a reminder to both the School Education Department and the teachers of the crucial role and responsibilities towards imparting quality education to the students across the state. The teacher-student ratio in the country is about 1:30, and the best teacher-student ratio in the country is in the international schools, which is about 1:20 to 1:25. However, it is learned that the teacher-student ratio in Nagaland government schools is about 1:8, and the teacher-students ratio of government and private schools combined is about 1:15, which if compared to the international schools is by far the best in the country. Yet, there is still shortage of teachers in most of the government schools in the state, especially in the rural areas. Time and again, School Education has been under the scanner for various reasons, and one of the issues is the excess number of teachers in some schools but shortages in others, which is depriving the students of their right to quality education. This shortfall of teachers in rural areas could be attributed to the teachers posted in rural areas are unwilling to serve in their respective places of posting. A highly placed official lamented that while the government and the department is trying to rationalise the redeployment of teachers from excess to shortfall schools, the effort could not be totally achieved so far due to various practical problems. The officials also informed that the state government is spending about 1000 crores annually for pay and allowances to the employees of the School Education Department, mostly for teachers. Hence, according to him, since the total enrolment of government school from pre-primary to higher secondary is around 194861 (2014-15), a simple arithmetic works out that the government is spending about Rs 54,771/- per child per year, and Rs 4564/- per child per month, whereas the output, in the form of HSLC and HSSLC examinations results is much below the expectations. In Nagaland, it is noticed that the best building in almost every town and village is the church building, whereas the worst building is mostly the government school. In this regard, the officials pointed out that ‘we seem to be failing in our realisation that while we normally go to churches only on Sundays, and on selected week days for few hours, schools are open throughout the week except on Sundays and holidays,. Hence, he asserted that the school building should be, if not better, at least be at par with the church building. ‘The irony in our state is that, in some places, the children attend classes during the day time and by night time, the same school buildings act as a shelter for domestic animals and other livestock’ lamented the official. ‘In such a scenario, with no attraction for education, we cannot expect our schools to produce students possessing values with quality education’, he added. No doubt private schools in the state are doing much better both in terms of quality education and better results, which ultimately increases the enrolment. The quality of education imparted in most of the government schools is doubtful under the prevalent circumstances. There is no denying that teaching as a profession does not come easy, which requires utmost sincerity, dedication and commitment. Hence, it should be a reminder that teaching should not be taken up as an alternative means of earning one’s livelihood, if we are to build a progressive and prosperous nation. Eastern Mirror joins the rest of the Nation in saluting the teacher's who have rendered their services in moulding lives.