Nagaland government honours 16 school teachers on the occasion of Teachers’
Day; declares Sep. 6 holiday for schools
Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 5 (EMN): While voicing concern over the high rate of educated unemployed youths in the state, minister for School Education and Parliamentary Affairs, Tokheho Yepthomi has urged the teaching community to ‘proactively act’ in the effort to encourage and motivate students to look beyond government jobs.
Addressing a host of teachers and students during the state level teachers’ day celebration held today at NBCC Convention Centre, (Kijü Kharu) in Kohima, Yepthomi made a sincere plea to all the teachers to strive for excellence and commit themselves to igniting knowledge and imparting quality education in the state.
“Our state faces a lot of challenges especially in the field of education. The foundation we are laying today for the future generation seems precarious to me because of the large number of educated unemployed youths in the state,” the minister said while he urged the teachers to contribute their best in order to lay down a solid foundation for the future generation of our state.
“Are we in a position to motivate and encourage the students to look beyond government jobs? Are we able to instil in them the dignity off labour? With the high rate of unemployed youths and lack of vocational training, are we looking for the cure or just to get a relief from our predicate?” Yepthomi said maintaining that “It is high time we proactively act instead of being reactive to problems.”
Pointing out the many errors which the department has experienced over the years, the minister further called upon the department staffs and the teachers to take corrective measures before it is late.
“We have to come up with tough decisions and take corrective measures, if not we will be held responsible in the failure to discharge our duties properly,” he said while agreeing upon the existence of some errors in the functioning of the department.
“We cannot allow letting the existing trend continue at the cost of our future, even if we have to go against the wishes of a few individuals,” he said.
“To rescue the future of our state and also the future of lakhs (sic) of students hold greater responsibility than displeasing a section of people,” he said adding that teachers are the real source of knowledge and wisdom and are the ones who build the foundation of our future destiny.
Guest speaker Pheluopfhelie Kesiezie, advisor of All Nagaland Private School Association (ANPSA), encouraged the teachers to uphold the noble task of the teaching profession.
Stating that the advanced countries give a lot of priority to education, he felt it is time that Nagaland should also consider education as its top priority, if at all we have to make a progress.s
Kesiezie also raised the issue of selling teachers’ day badges by students outside school premises. “It is a shame and a harassment to send students to the streets to sell badges on account of teachers’ day,” he stated.
Principal Director of School Education, Smita Sarangi, in her address, lauded the ‘unmatched role’ played by the teachers. “Teachers are the bridge between our past and the future,” she said.
Meanwhile, owing to the teachers’ day celebration, September 6 (Wednesday) has been declared as a holiday for all the schools across the state. The declaration was made by the minister for school education Tokheho Yepthomi during the state level teachers’ day celebration at NBCC convention centre, Kohima.
The programme, chaired by Principal Secretary of School Education, FP Solo, commenced with singing of the national anthem by students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Yakukie, Kohima, while Mhonchumo S Lotha, pastor at Lotha Baptist Church, Kohima pronounced the invocation. Students of Rüzhükhrie GHSS, Chandmari HSS and Little Flower HSS, Kohima also took the stage to present different performances.
On the occasion, teachers’ awards were also given to 16 teachers from various schools across the state. The awardees were Khesheli Shohe, NC Datta, Swedesunuo Zao, Koijam Jitendra Singh, Pranav Shekhar, Brijeetha ET, Sujatha Joseph, Hs Wangong, Maya Suresh, I Chuba Aier, R Mhonbeni Ezong, P Ruth Khuvung, H Kitoli Yeptho, P Nicha, Talitemjen and Mongsenlepla.
Meanwhile, it was informed that two teachers from Nagaland including Mhabeni Murry, PT teacher at GPS Wokha and Teisovilhou Koza, senior GT teacher at GHSS, Phek, were in New Delhi to receive the national teacher’ award today.
Following the directive given by the Ministry of Human Resource Development for all the teachers (both government and private) to avail training before March 2019 or else face termination, there has been a new directive from the MHRD.
Minister for School Education and Parliamentary Affairs, Tokheho Yepthomi Tuesday announced that the compulsory training has been exempted to those teachers, who have been appointed prior to 3rd September, 2001.
Therefore, as per the new MHRD directive, those teachers who have been appointed prior to 3rd September 2001 will be exempted from termination though do not go for the training.
Echoing the words of the minister, the principal secretary of School Education, FP Solo has reminded all the untrained teachers to register within the next seven or eight days.
Except the exempted teachers, Solo reiterated that there will be no excuse for the rest of the teachers, including government and private.
“For the rest of the teachers, failure to avail the training laid down by the ministry will only lead to termination from service,” he said informing that there are over 12,000 untrained teachers across the state.
