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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 16 (EMN): Advisor for School Education KT Sukhalu on Friday stated that the student enrolment in government schools has dropped to 1,69,548; and as per the national average of one teacher for 32 students, 'the required number of teachers in Nagaland comes to 9000 only'.
Sukhalu stated this while highlighting some issues and challenges of the education system in Nagaland during the HSLC and HSSLC Naga toppers’ felicitation programme organised by the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) in Kohima.
He informed that there are about 20,000 teachers in Nagaland at present inclusive of SSA and RMSA, which translates to an excess of around 11,000 teachers. This, he said, is a serious matter.
“We need to seriously ponder over this matter, either to close down schools that do not have any enrolment in both urban and rural areas, or merge schools that have very low enrolment,” he said.
The advisor said that though government teachers are qualified and trained 'they do not seem to inspire parents and children to study in government schools'.
He said that there is a 'general perception in the state that sending children to private schools is better'; and the enrolment in private schools is increasing over the years, whereas it has dropped in government schools.
He further asked the NSF and Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) to focus more on the education and welfare of the students; to ensure that the teachers are doing their job and 'not indulging in other activities keeping their proxies'.
Sukhalu, while referring to the ongoing NSF and ENSF agitation on behalf of the SSA and RMSA teachers, expressed his appreciation to the two student bodies for showing their respect to former minister CM Chang by suspending their agitation till October 18, but appealed to both the unions and its affiliate members to reconsider their postponed agitation from October 19.
"As you are aware, the government has already agreed in principle to mainstream the SSA and RMSA teachers of 2010 and 2013 batches in October 2018," he said.
He also expressed that it is 'not a simple task of just signing a piece of paper,' but a 'massive exercise' had to be undertaken by the department. The advisor maintained that the exercise is still continuing.
“It is a painstaking task and such things take time, and the task was further delayed due to the Covid pandemic. However, the government will continue to work to bring this to a logical conclusion where justice will not be denied,” he asserted.
Sukhalu further stated that with the spike in Covid-19 positive cases in the state, 'where it has spread to community level,' it is going to affect many activities, both in private and official activities.
"This is perhaps not the right time to be agitating, we have a bigger and more urgent crisis to first overcome," he said.
"In view of the circumstances, the government cannot give the time frame for implementing the proposal but you may be assured that the decision of the government will definitely be implemented," he added.