MOKOKCHUNG — A total of six high school students were felicitated at the fifth Yajen Aier Award and the Asetkong Kaketshir Telungjem Mungdang (AKTM) Excellency Award function held at Community Hall, Longjang village in Mokokchung, on the theme "Reinvigorating Teaching and Learning”, on Friday.
The recipients of the Yajen Aier Award were Tajungren Imsong (Top 12 in HSLC) Ayinsen Aier, (Top 13 in HSLC) both from Little Flower Higher Secondary School Kohima and Imlibong Jamir (Top 14 in HSLC) from Coraggio School, Kohima. The same students received AKTM Excellency Award for excelling in the HSLC exam conducted by the NBSE this year.
The Yajen Aier Award was also presented to the best performing students from the Asetkong range to students studying in classes 8, 8 and 10 (2023 & 2023-2024). The recipients of the award were Akumsunep Aier (class 8) from GHS Longjang (95.4 %); Rongnen Jamir (Class 9) (91%) and Alemwapang (Class 10) (77.6%), both from Clark Memorial Higher Secondary School.
The recipients of both the Yajen Aier and AKTM Excellency awards received cash reward along with citations.
Speaking at the award ceremony, Advisor for Law and Justice & Land Revenue, TN Mannen told the students that the achievement was the just the first step towards bigger challenges in life, and that school education is not the end but a preparation for life. He also challenged the student to work hard and excel in what they do.
Comparing the pass percentage of government and private schools, he said the teachers, parents and community as a whole need to seriously ponder the poor performance of public sector schools despite boasting of highly qualified teachers.
"30,000 students passed this year, and within 3 to 4 years, they will be educated unemployed," he said sharing his concern, citing 70,936 unemployed graduates, post graduates, engineers, technical graduates and Phds in the state.
Pointing out that it is impossible for the government to provide jobs to all the educated citizens, he urged the student to be best among the best, saying that "there is always a room for the top".
He further encouraged the students to be self employed by discovering their passion and obtaining the perquisite skills.
Saponger Aier, JE PWD (NH), Mokokchung, also encouraged the students to set their priorities right in order to achieve their goals.
“When you are at the lowest level, you are down on your knees but it’s the best way to communicate with God and reflect on the failures to rise to the challenges to be the turning point in your life,” he said.
It may be mentioned that Yajen Aier Award is conferred by Asetkong Mungdang, while AKTM Excellency Award is given by Asetkong Kaketshir Telungjem Mungdang.