GMS Midland in Dimapur will be shifted to a nearby site to address infrastructure and space constraints, says principal director
.JPG-1794316407047.webp&w=1200&q=75)
DIMAPUR — The Nagaland government has agreed in principle to shift Government Middle School (GMS) Midland, Dimapur, to a nearby property to address its inadequate infrastructure and lack of space for expansion, Principal Director of School Education Shashank Pratap Singh said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the school's Golden Jubilee celebration, Singh said proposals had been received from the Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur, and negotiations were underway to finalise the arrangement. He said the process was expected to be completed soon, paving the way for a new school building.
Taken over by the government in 1976, the school currently occupies a plot measuring approximately 95 by 36 feet and caters to around 200 students. Its existing building is shared by the School Education and Health and Family Welfare departments, limiting the scope for expansion, he said.
Teacher deployment
Addressing the ongoing agitation by the Lotha Middle Range Students' Union (LMRSU) over staffing at Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS), Sungro, Singh said several claims circulating on social media did not reflect the actual staffing position.
-1794316410890.webp&w=1200&q=75)
The higher secondary section had five Post Graduate Teachers (PGTs) for Classes 11 and 12. However, two female teachers had proceeded on maternity leave simultaneously, creating a genuine shortage, he acknowledged.
Singh said the issue had not been communicated to the government in time for necessary arrangements. The department had decided to make a temporary arrangement for a PGT Political Science teacher, while the PGT English teacher was expected to rejoin duty on Tuesday after completing her maternity leave.
He clarified that the Directorate handled the posting of primary and graduate teachers, while PGT postings and transfers were dealt with directly by the government. He also said the department had discontinued the provision of substitute teachers for those proceeding on extended leave, maternity leave or study leave. School heads were responsible for informing the Directorate in advance to facilitate alternative arrangements.
Singh further said many teachers were reportedly taking only three classes a day at GHSS Sungro, despite the Nagaland School Education Service Rules, 2017, requiring every teacher, irrespective of cadre, to take a minimum of four classes daily. He urged teachers to go beyond the minimum requirement whenever necessary in the interest of students.
School rationalisation
The principal director also spoke about the need to rationalise government staffing, saying the School Education department accounted for around 25% of the Nagaland government's total salary and pension budget.
WATCH MORE:
On fragmented schools, Singh pointed out that several villages and wards had three or four separate government schools catering to different levels of education. Students often had to move from a Government Primary School to a Government Middle School and subsequently to a Government High School, obtaining transfer certificates at each stage. This, he said, affected enrolment and contributed to higher dropout rates.
He said the department was pursuing mergers and amalgamation of schools to improve student retention and ensure better utilisation of teachers and other resources. Composite schools could be established wherever feasible, while schools that could not be physically consolidated could function under a common administrative structure with one principal and one School Management Committee.
Singh also informed that the SMiLE app had been implemented across government schools and offices, with each institution provided with a tablet installed with the application. Biometric attendance, already mandatory at the Directorate, would next be extended to all government schools.
He said the department had been withholding salaries of employees with unsatisfactory attendance at the Directorate for the past three months. The app also had an offline facility for teachers in areas with poor network connectivity, with attendance data uploaded once the tablet was connected to a network or Wi-Fi.
Earlier, Singh unveiled the golden jubilee commemorative plaque, while Senior SDEO Dimapur Kitoshi Z. Swu inaugurated the jubilee hall and DEO Dimapur Mugaho Zhimomi released the souvenir.
The celebration was held under the theme “Celebrating Years of Learning, Service and Progress”.