Our Correspondent
Kohima, July 27 (EMN): Advisor of School Education and State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), KT Sukhalu on Wednesday said that villages in Nagaland have been declared open defecation-free while towns have many ‘pay and use’ toilets but lamented people travelling in expensive SUVs throwing trash out of their car windows.
He said this during the felicitation programme organised by the department of School Education for the state-level awardees of Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar (SVP) 2021-22, at the Directorate of School Education in Kohima.
With the institution of Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar to recognise, inspire and celebrate excellence in sanitation and hygiene practice in schools, the onus is on children and students to develop the habit of cleanliness, Sukhalu said while commending award winners.
He expressed delight that the examples set by the schools will percolate down to all other schools in the state so that children will learn and see how they can maintain the environment and develop the habit of maintaining cleanliness.
Informing that the Government Middle School (GMS), Peren Town DC colony is now being upgraded to Government High School (GHS), the advisor expressed hope that other schools and districts would emulate the same.
The State Level Education Committee (SLEC), headed by the chief minister, gets a lot of applications for opening new schools, and upgrading schools, he informed, adding that a SLEC meeting would be held soon.
“But I am going to propose that for any school to be opened, they should have sufficient land so that toilet facilities, drinking water facilities, even the play areas should be there, otherwise in a very congested corner, opening school, I think really does not serve the purpose,” he said.
He added that guidelines for both private and government schools would be taken up during the meeting.
Asserting that the state revenue is insufficient to uplift not only the school sector but many other sectors, he reiterated that the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act should be lifted, not because he was encouraging drinking but due to the presence of spurious liquor statewide.
Further, he added that on withdrawing the NLTP Act, the revenue could be invested in education and healthcare systems considering the pathetic infrastructure of the schools in the state.
While commending the success of the schools, he announced that Grant-in-aid of INR 50,000 would be given to all the awarded schools.
Earlier, Secretary of School Education, Limawabang Jamir, said the Ministry of Education, government of India, had launched the Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar (SVP) 2021-22 on January 12 last year and a new section on COVID-preparedness and response had also been added considering its implication on health, hygiene and safety of the children.
He informed that out of 2719 schools (both govt. and private) as per Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2020-21, 468 schools were registered and only 276 schools applied for the SVP award. The ministry shortlisted 166 schools as ‘eligible’ for the district-level award, while 111 schools were selected for the district-level award.
He stated that out of the 111 selected schools, 38 schools were nominated for the state-level award by the respective district-level committees.
As many as 23 schools were selected, wherein 17 schools for the overall category and six for sub-categories were selected for the state-level award.
The official informed that the committee further recommended nine schools -- three for overall and six for sub-category -- for the national award.
The schools nominated for national awards are GMS Peren Town, DC Colony; St. Mary's Cathedral Hr. School, Kohima, and Livingstone Foundation Hr. Sec. School Dimapur for the overall category; and Fernbrook School, Wokha town; GMS Peren town, DC Colony; St. Mary's Cathedral Hr. School, Kohima; Livingstone Foundation Hr. Sec. School, Dimapur; and St. Paul Hr. Sec. School, Dimapur for sub-category awards.
Experience sharing was presented by Head teacher of GMS, Peren town, DC colony and principal of Livingstone Foundation Hr. Sec. School Dimapur, Andrew Ahoto Sema.
The citations were presented to the winners by KT Sukhalu and Commissioner and Secretary Kevileno Angami.
A special song was presented by Joshua Shohe and vote of thanks proposed by Thavaseelan K, Principal Director of School Education.