Every day is national education day, teachers told

“We cannot expect quality education without educationists being involved in the policy decision making process”

Our Correspondent

Kohima, Nov. 11 (EMN): The need for quality education that goes beyond text books and problems caused by absenteeism and proxy system took centre stage on the occasion of National Education Day organised by the Nagaland Education Association (NEA) in collaboration with Directorate of School Education at the directorate conference hall on Monday.

Addressing the gathering, principal secretary of School Education and SCERT and special invitee of the event, Menukhol John, maintained that the wholesome growth of a society needs not only government sector but collective efforts of everyone with “communitisation”. He added that the government is taking effort to make optimum utilisation of social capital for which a commission will be soon set up to look into the matter.

“Can we as teachers look at the students who are in front of you and teach him or her as to how you would like a teacher to teach our own child?” he asked the teachers, stating that ‘it is problem the government faces at present.’

He urged the teachers to give more commitment to their profession and to make a difference in the state. ‘It’s a commitment; it’s a calling, a reminder that we have huge tasks ahead of us and everyday is national education day’, he told the teachers. He also pitched on the need to improve students-teachers ratio, to do away with “dropouts system” and to focus on education would make students employable.

The principal director of school education, Shanavas C maintained in his short speech that education is not only about text book knowledge but beyond it; and that education should build good human beings and citizens.

He maintained that the ratio of students-teacher 8:1 must be rethought, and lamented that ‘absenteeism and proxy system is the greatest problem.’

According to the official, communitisation is decentralisation of corruption. He said that some villages and authorities are protective of ‘wrong things’, for which he sought support for systematic implementation and cooperation of all the stakeholders. Shanavas also expressed the need for student-centric programme and quality education.

Delivering the keynote address, the president of Nagaland Education Association, Dr. Zavise Rume informed that the Ministry of Human Resource Development had in 2008 declared November 11 as the National Education Day in commemoration of the birth anniversary of first Education Minister of the Independent India, Mulana Abdul Kalam Azad who was a scholar, freedom fighter, promoter of basic education, adult literacy, education of the rural poor and girls, universal primary education, free and compulsory education, diversification of secondary education and vocational training.

“Education is the mother of all professions. Education must essentially become a National agenda. The State Government must continue to give its priority to education sector,” he said.

Highlighting the significance of the day, he said, “The National Education Day is marked to acknowledge the contributions of educationists and educators for their great contributions towards human progression and civilisation.”

Rume maintained that school education in Nagaland started with the first school being established in 1874 at Molungyimsen under Mokokchung district of Nagaland by Dr. FW Clark, an American Baptist Christian missionary. He also congratulated Education department for establishing at least one government school in every village in the state.

The NEA president maintained that present education system, which was inherited from the British rule in India, lacks Naga indigenous education. He added Nagaland was the first state in India to conceptualise, legislate and implement ‘communitisation of elementary school education,’ that has gained recognition at the international level.

He opined that a ‘state institute of communitisation education’ must be created to generate and accelerate manpower resources, promote research and training so as to sustain communitisation system in the state.

Dwelling on absenteeism and proxy system in the state, he said, “Today, many teachers do not want to teach in the school. Many students do not want to come to school. School absenteeism is becoming a major challenge in Nagaland today.”  He maintained that this practice ‘degrades the status of teaching profession.’

Rume maintained that a person who receives training on how to teach well does not actually teach in the school but encourages illegal practice with full knowledge of the local village/ urban education committee, which is a huge waste of resources. Stating that students in many places are deserting government schools because of proxy system, he asserted that ‘education will be ruined unless this illegal menace is wiped out’.

“If we are really sincere, we can easily put this illegal practice (proxy system) to an end. We need a strong state law to deal with this menace,” said Rume. “We need quality education. We cannot expect quality education from uneducated and unprofessional people. We cannot expect quality education without educationists being involved in the policy decision making process. Professionally qualified and well-experienced educationists must be involved in the education policy decision making process,” he added.

Rume also expressed the needs for educationists to provide professional opinions in matters related to education like many other professions such as legal, medical, para-medical, engineering, media etc. He maintained that public should refrain from making statements on education without proper consultation with educationists as that could create confusion.