Nagaland's Fragile Classrooms

Almost the entire eastern region of Nagaland—Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, Shamator and Noklak—along with several other districts, including Mokokchung and Zunheboto, has been severely affected by floods and landslides triggered by incessant rainfall. The tragedy in Mon, where a massive landslide claimed the lives of 11 villagers, has left the state in mourning, while thousands more have been affected by the continuing monsoon. Beyond the immediate loss of lives and livelihoods, the disaster has once again exposed the fragile state of school infrastructure in interior parts of the state, substantiating long-standing concerns raised by student bodies and highlighted in media reports about the shortage of classrooms and the poor condition of government school buildings. According to officials of the Konyak Students' Union, the monsoon has caused structural damage to several schools in Mon district alone, disrupting the education of thousands of students. Hundreds have lost uniforms, textbooks, and other learning materials, while school furniture, records, and equipment have also been damaged.

With schools set to reopen after the summer vacation and colleges preparing to begin a new academic session, many educational institutions will face challenges that cannot be resolved overnight. In Mon, the authorities have approved the temporary use of a nursing hostel to accommodate Government Middle School, whose building was extensively damaged. Similar arrangements may become necessary for other schools across the affected districts to ensure that students can resume their studies without prolonged disruption. The Education department must also ease the issuance of duplicate certificates and other academic documents for students who have lost them in the floods. For many, replacing these documents quickly will be essential for admissions, examinations, and scholarship applications.

Students often bear the brunt of crisis, whether caused by natural disasters, armed conflicts, or public health emergencies. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how prolonged disruptions to education can affect learning outcomes and jeopardise the futures of millions of children. In Nagaland, where many rural schools already struggle with inadequate infrastructure, teacher shortages, and limited educational resources compared to urban centres such as Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung, any additional interruption can have lasting consequences. Extended disruptions increase learning losses and raise the risk of school dropouts, particularly among children from economically disadvantaged families. The state cannot afford such setbacks at a time when improving educational outcomes should remain a priority. Education must be treated as an essential service even during emergencies. The governments, both at the Centre and state, must prioritise education as an essential service during emergencies and ensure that students remain at the heart of crisis response. Nagaland needs disaster-resilient school infrastructure, not buildings constructed with substandard materials that fail to withstand heavy rainfall. Protecting children and safeguarding their right to education is a shared responsibility of the government, communities, and society at large.