The demand for bifurcation in the school education has taken center stage with the ANSTA pressing for it with three day mass casual leave and indefinite strike beginning 1st June 2016. The reasons behind the demand for bifurcation are manifold. ANSTA has noted 12 points as to why higher secondary should be bifurcated from the rest of school education.However, the issue stems from the rock bottom and there are several grey areas and agendas which are deliberately hidden from public domain. Of the 12 points basing on which ANSTA demand bifurcation, most can be sortedwithout much difficulty save the bifurcation itself. Among the 12 points, the first and foremost argument of ANSTA is that the entry point for Post graduate teachers (PGT) is a gazetted post while that of the primary and graduate teachers (GT) are non gazetted, hence the PGTs have advantage over the two in terms of promotion. Now, if the department is to be bifurcated basing on entry points, most of the departments in Nagaland have to undergo bifurcation process. For instance, under home/police department, there are numerous entry points such as constable, havildar, ASI, SI and DSP etc. In some department, there is entry point for Jr. Engineer as well as SDO, Supervisor and CDPOs, or for that matter an NCS officer and an IAS officer. Such different entry points are not new to the government and there are established norms to accommodate the career progression of different cadres. However, if school education is to be bifurcated basing on entry points, what will happen if the Primary teachers which accounts for 65 percent of the total teachers start making similar demands?
Other arguments of ANSTA includes different academic session, different subject options, routine and period duration, problems of two heads and thus management problems etc. On these issues, an example can be drawn from the private higher secondary institutions who are performing exceeding well, and as such, parties can learn a lot on how these minor difficulties can be sorted out under the same roof. On the issue of promotional channel as argued by ANSTA, it is a known fact that different entry point will have different promotional avenues depending on the nature of entry point, pay grade and essential educational qualifications etc. This is the area where the ANSTA demand is most irrational. To argue that the Head masters (HM) are senior to the Principal by at least ten years of service or actual age is illogical, because in any department, age cannot be the criteria for promotion. And if one is to go by ANSTA argument, many primary teachers are senior in both service and age to the head masters or assistant head masters;in that case, how will ANSTA or the department addresses such predicament? To put it otherwise, when the primary teachers can serve under the graduate teachers, what is the big hassle to work under a principal or officer from the higher secondary section?
In its 52 years or so, the school education department has undergone numerous changes. The department grew from Lower primary to primary and then to middle schools and later into high schools and higher secondary schools according to the needs and demands of the society. The solution, therefore, may not lie in bifurcation hence must be sought within the amalgamation process. The learned Minister of school education has recently stated that the policy of composite school is an outcome of a time tested practice, in a sense, its merits outweighs the demerits. Therefore, to wrestle against such a system just because one cannot work under a younger officer surely goes against the interest of the State and the students.
Meanwhile, talking of problems associated with promotion, the graduate teachers were not the only one having those grievances. The cadres of higher secondary schools were also aggrieved in terms of promotion due to the loopholes and anomalies in the restructuring processes. The same anomaly also affects the graduate teachers at certain level creating a structural deficiency in the higher echelon in the directorate, a cause of which the demand for bifurcation gained momentum. The primary teachers having graduate and post graduate degrees also feel that better opportunities should be created for them. All these shows that a revisit of the restructuring process is inevitable to restorenormalcy in the department. However, any such exercise should be preceded by an in depth research and analysis of the existing constrictions. Restructuring process must also undergo open and transparent consultation process among different groups such that consultations evolve into workable mechanisms to remove the chokepoints and restore progressive pathways and effective educational system.
In any society, teachers are being respected for they nurture and educate the populace of the society. In the same line, teachers are expected to act, behave and perform in the right manner. Therefore, any grievances have to be settled through sound reasoning and proper consultation processes rather than choosing the path of dictate and confrontation. Moreover, in any exercise, the welfare and interest of the students should be kept in mind, because nothing can compensate the loss incurred by the students while the teachers goes on strike. Baring very few, there is no denying that none of the children of the government teachers study in government schools. Therefore, the government and the student bodies must also step in to ensure that the welfare and rights of the students are not compromised at any costs.
N. Janbemo Humtsoe
Wokha : Nagaland.
janbemolotha@gmail.com
