Equal Work, Unequal Policy: The Paradox of Teaching in Nagaland

When I Google the worst countries in terms of education systems, I find those grappling with conflict, poverty, instability, and similar challenges. Teachers and children in these countries genuinely suffer due to the prevailing crises. However, if I compare them to our state, we have one of the most stable governments—without any opposition, no signs of serious conflict like our neighbouring states, and our people are not experiencing any serious poverty. Yet in Nagaland, the public education system is plagued with issue after issue, court case after court case, mission after mission, and project after project. And the results? The public knows best.

The ongoing RMSA 2016 demand from the popular government of the day is legitimate and undeniable. The department’s move to apply for a Review Petition again after the Supreme Court order is nothing short of hegemony over the professional growth of the teachers. It is a deliberate attack on education itself. Moreover, in the midst of democratic and peaceful protest, the department’s decision to transfer some of these teachers and issuing the order of ‘No work, no pay’ is a clear indication of dictatorship in governance.

The government should come forward with a comprehensive policy to accommodate all categories of teachers, irrespective of the nature of their appointment, in the best interest of students. It must not practice suppressive and totalitarian policies. The department exists primarily for students and teachers; the rest of the administrative functionaries are meant to ensure the smooth implementation of education policies designed by NBSE, SCERT, and NCERT. What is currently happening in the department is in a pathetic state. The recent rationalization and redeployment of teachers, approved by the State Level Education Committee—one of the highest committees in the state, headed by the Chief Minister—is now at stake.

On the other hand, teachers who sponsor agents in schools should immediately stop the proxy system. If a headmaster is found entertaining such agents, exemplary punishment must be imposed. Teachers who are no longer contributing meaningfully in classrooms should voluntarily retire and make way for newly trained educators.

The education system in Nagaland is sustained by the Nagaland Board of School Education, SCERT, and private schools. Otherwise, the majority of government schools administered by the Department of School Education (DOSE) are on the verge of extinction, with meager enrollment and poor results—despite receiving adequate funding through proper channels.

When the government fails to implement sound education policies, it inevitably leads to social inequality. The rural population, which depends on public schools, continues to pay a costly price. The Education department should set an example by adopting a basic policy of “equal work, equal pay,” and not perpetuate unequal entitlements for equal qualifications and equal work.