Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, JULY 8
The two-year Bachelor of Education and master of Education programs has commenced for the State College of Teacher’s Education (SCTE) in Kohima town on Wednesday, July 8. 27 M.Ed. students and 98 B.Ed. students are enrolled for the batch of 2015-2017.
The new batch from both the programs will have a new curriculum which is in line with the framework of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) of 2010.
Interestingly, starting this year, education in the philosophic Hindu health discipline Yoga will also be included as a subject–compulsory–for both the programs.
The new development was informed on Wednesday during an induction program for the two 2-year programs. The event was conducted in the SCTE’s conference hall.Principal in-charge of SCTE, Dr. Bendangyapangla apprised students about the new curriculum. She said ‘many changes’ have been made in the new curriculum. Only some conventional curriculum has been retained, she said.
“The new curriculum will usher in new thought in teacher preparatory programs and it will be more quality oriented,” the principal said maintaining that the new curriculum leant toward ‘the need of change in teacher education’.
She informed that the curriculum would be based more on teachers’ personality and toward making them ‘more humane’. The students, she explained, will start experiencing the school environment from the first year of their respective course, unlike the past years in the previous curricula. “Altogether, it is a new perspective and there is going to be transition in the classrooms,” she said.
In education many things are changing, Dr. Bendangyapangla explained. With the new curriculum, activities in the classes will be ‘filled with excitement through the new learning process,’ the principal opined. She told the students that when they leave the SCTE with their new experience, ‘it would bring changes in the every corner of the state’.
Also speaking during the program was Additional Secretary for Higher & Technical Education Kanilo Apon, who graced the function as the chief guest. He urged the B.Ed. and M.Ed. students to take up the challenge of transforming the educational system in the state.
Stating that quality education was a pathway to ‘every aspect of human development in the society’, Apon reminded the to-be-teachers to be committed entirely to teaching. “Your contribution and service towards education sector will play a decisive role for the future of the Nagas, especially the upcoming generation.
The society so much depends on the teachers today. Likewise, how the teachers perform will remain decisive,” he said. The official maintained that “it is the teachers who have to lead and guide the students in expanding their horizons and visions.
On other matters of concern, Apon said that “when we look back at the competitive examinations like UPSC, medical technical entrance exam, our people hardly get through”. In 2013, he cited as an instance, only one lady from Nagaland managed to secure the qualifying marks. In this regard he questioned whether the failure was because of teachers being irresponsible or because of their ‘not satisfied in their professions’.
He encouraged the gathering, especially to the teachers-in-training, ‘not to show their negligence to their duties with habits like being unpunctual’ which he said would ‘hamper the students’ community’. Teachers are like the central nerve in the body, he said. They are to be responsible in bringing up the younger generation into a position where the young can take on big challenges as the future of Nagaland.
The official also expressed hope that the new curriculum would benefit the students and transform the education system in Nagaland to attain the heights. The chief guest hoped that the new curriculum would benefit the state by strengthening the institute. He suggested to the SCTE that ‘if there would be any hindrances or difficulties in the functioning of the institution, the government would look into their grievances’.
Speaking on behalf of the students, Toshienla and Rose, spoke about their expectations from the B.Ed. and M.Ed. courses. They are ‘learning patience, self-control’ and also ‘expecting to learn from the faculty to guide them to perfectly implement their responsibilities’, the two students said.
