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PB Acharya and Asano Sekhose, seated centre, with HSLC toppers during the award presentation ceremony at the Raj Bhavan in Kohima on Friday.[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 8 (EMN): Governor PB Acharya said the curriculum of the Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) is in consonance with the core curriculum of the country; therefore, students of Nagaland do not have any handicap to compete with others.
Speaking at a meritorious award ceremony on June 8 at the Raj Bhavan in Kohima, felicitating toppers and rank holders of HSLC and HSSLC 2018, the governor has expressed pride that the girl-students have outshone the boys in the board exams this year as well.
“In many parts of the country the plight of the girl child in the field of education is in a sorry state of affairs, which is why the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a project called ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ to uplift the girl child. But in Nagaland, I see a good and better future and it is because Nagas treat all equally, whether girls or boys,” Acharya stated.
Congratulating the student-achievers for bringing laurels to their families, schools and the society, he exhorted them that their empowerment should not end with their recent feat but that they should continue to achieve greater heights with perseverance.
“As you go further, the competitions will get stiffer and only few will remain standing. Therefore, you must inculcate the right discipline in studies and also the right moral values,” the governor advised the students.
He also pointed out that the state was producing a ‘good number of educated students who are unemployable’ and the state government was unable to accommodate all the educated unemployed as it was oversaturated.
“We must reconsider our priorities and reform the education system to suit the changing situation,” Acharya said, while emphasizing the need to reorient the system to provide education coupled with skills empowerment. Towards this, he lauded the NBSE for having introduced skills subjects on information technology, travel and tourism, retail, healthcare services etc. He said the office of the Raj Bhavan has also, keeping in mind the importance of skill development of students and to encourage them to embrace dignity of labour, instituted awards in skill education subjects as well as in Major/Modern Indian Languages (MILs) this year.
“The self-centered nucleus family development should not be the goal of education especially the achievers and they should be the asset to the nation by creating wealth and making our country strong,” the governor said.
He asserted that the crumbling state of the government schools was ‘our own doing’ as academic achievements are not being wholly reflected in ‘our service’ to the people. He underscored that development of one’s society, state and country should be the foremost goal of every person.
The awards that were given out on the occasion included Governor's Awards to HSLC and HSSLC toppers carrying a cash award of INR 25,000 each along with certificates; Governor’s Award to subject toppers in MILs and skill education subjects carrying INR 2000 in cash and a gift each worth INR 1000; Dr. Neilhouzhü Kire Angami Award (one-time) to the HSLC topper carrying INR 1, 00, 000; and the NBSE Awards to toppers of HSLC and HSSLC carrying INR 25,000 with certificates.
During the programme, Acharya also held a brief open-house interaction with the toppers. Short speeches were delivered by NBSE chairman Asano Sekhose, retired DGP Nagaland K Kire, principal secretary for School Education and SCERT Menukhol John and the toppers of HSLC and HSSLC science, arts and commerce streams.
