No redeployment, transfer, posting of teachers
Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 15 (EMN): The government is taking into account the continuous poor performance of government schools in the high school and higher secondary examinations. Advisor for School Education KT Sukhalu has strongly iterated the department’s target that no government schools should produce any “nil” results in 2019. He maintained that all the government teachers, wherever they may be posted at, should have the ‘dream and aim’; they need to ensure that in 2019, they must affect a turnaround in the performance of their respective school to achieve said target.
Speaking at the inaugural programme of a workshop for mathematics teachers in Kohima on Oct. 15, Sukhalu informed that 99 schools don’t have mathematics and science teachers. He was appreciative of the state Cabinet’s decision to convert some of the teachers’ posts to that of math and science though. In a month or two, he assured, all the schools will have the requisite numbers of teachers, headmasters, and assistant headmasters.
Sukhalu maintained that the department was ‘sincerely trying to address’ the issues’ that have been plaguing the controversial department. Referring to schools being downgraded, he was of the view that the department had not done justice to the schools that had shortage of teachers, or none, especially those in the remote areas. However, there is excess in the number of teachers in urban schools, which also have fewer students, he said.
Informing the department’s decision to have composite schools and ‘rationalisation of schools,’ Sukhalu asserted that there will be no redeployment, transfer, and posting of any teachers soon. He said to have proposed to the Cabinet that no one should request transfer or posting, and that by January next before the academic session begins, all the teachers and ‘streamlined postings’ would be in place.
Attributing the shortage of officers in district offices, Sukhalu maintained that “we can’t have it all. We need to sacrifice now and then so that we can progress.” If one sticks to a particular demand and not willing to move an inch other than the demand, the department will not progress, the advisor said.
The math and science ‘phobia’
According to the advisor, simply teaching alone will not help. Rather, the way a teacher teaches and try to provoke students with ideas will ensure that no one is ‘scared’ of the two subjects. The teachers have a big challenge, Sukhalu maintained. Students’ interest in learning math and science can be developed with the right kind of attitude, personal care, proper nurturing, and proper guidance, he said.
He reminded the teachers: “Not only your presence is required in the school, but your mind is required.” “Our students can even do much better than the others, provided that we give them the right guidance” and that responsibility is with the teachers, he said.
Principal Secretary Menukhol John also spoke during the event. He pointed to the practice of keeping substitute teachers, and asked the teaching community: “How many of you are keeping substitutes?” Though he didn’t expect anyone to answer, John pointed out that impersonation was a serious criminal offence and their job was at stake.
The officer declared that the government cannot afford to just keep ignoring the problem wishing it would go away. John maintained that the government must come down heavily on ‘impersonation’ including to proxy and the one authorising the proxy.
