Endless Predicaments of Government School Teachers in Nagala
Endless Predicaments of Government School Teachers in Nagaland
The Government of Nagaland under the visionary leadership of past and present administrations has made commendable strides in advancing school education through centrally sponsored schemes.
The Government of Nagaland under the visionary leadership of
past and present administrations has made commendable strides in advancing
school education through centrally sponsored schemes such as Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and the current
integrated Samagra Shiksha initiative. Additionally, international funding
through the NEP-Lighthouse (NECTAR) World Bank project has enhanced the
external and internal infrastructure of schools. These efforts reflect a
commitment to quality education and equitable access across villages and towns.
However, the persistent non-payment of salaries and denial of service benefits
to government school teachers particularly those appointed in 2010 and 2013
undermine these achievements. As a concerned citizen, I wish to highlight the
systemic challenges faced by these teachers and calls for urgent action to
address their grievances.
The plight of government school teachers in Nagaland
particularly those under the aegis of Nagaland Government Teachers Association
(NGTA) comprising Primary and Graduate Teachers is marked by the following
predicaments:
1. Teachers appointed through open Departmental Examinations
in 2010 and 2013 have consistently faced delays in salary disbursement unlike
same teachers in the same Department of School Education who are paid regularly
without any hiccups. These mentioned qualified educators in focus are also
government employees with responsibilities including loans, family needs and
educational expenses for their children. The non-payment of salaries for months
even in 2025 jeopardises their morale and financial stability.
2. Despite performing their duties diligently, these NGTA
teachers have gone without salaries for two months in 2025. These educators who
depend on their income for daily sustenance are struggling to provide for their
families and support their children’s education. The lack of timely payment
places them in a precarious financial position.
3. Although these teachers were mainstreamed in 2022 through
a reliable source, the issue of non-payment persists, unlike other state
employees who receive monthly salaries. This disparity highlights a
stepmotherly approach toward teachers who are critical to the state’s education
system.
4. Nagaland, heavily reliant on central government funds
must ensure equitable treatment of all its employees. Delayed salaries should
be compensated with interest to mitigate the financial strain on teachers and
uphold fairness in governance.
The absence of timely salaries negates the exquisiteness of
upgraded school infrastructure akin to a “garden blessed with diversity of
flowers, fruits and greenery devoid of a gardener and watchman, destined to be
damaged by intruders or worn out.” Initiatives like the TAMS App under NECTAR
Project for accountability, Samagra Shiksha interventions risk becoming futile
if teachers- “the steering force of implementation” are humiliated and enraged
by unpaid dues. The question arises: Were schools opened and teachers appointed
solely to perpetuate their torment by denying them their rightful salaries?
Must these educators resort to strikes or protests, only to face forceful
measures like “water cannons,” to secure their dues and enter the “Paradise of
School Education” as regularised employees with deserved privileges?
The symptoms of discontent among Nagaland’s government
school teachers are evident and the consequences of inaction are dire. Quality
education cannot flourish when the educators themselves are deprived of basic
financial security. The Government of Nagaland must diagnose and treat this
issue promptly by ensuring timely salary payments, compensating for delays and
granting service benefits like seniority and Old Pension Scheme (OPS)
entitlements. Erasing stepmotherly treatment and fostering equitable governance
will not only uplift teacher morale but also strengthen the state’s education
system. The time to act is now: lest the vision of quality education remains an
unfulfilled promise.
