Morung Express News
Kohima | March 24
As high as 50 percent of government schools are without Math teachers, informed Nagaland School Education Minister, Yitachu today.
Speaking at the NLA today, he said that although the department has taken up even national advertisements for Math teachers, the dearth remains.
“We could get just two teachers and many schools are without Math and Science teachers. Inspite of the rationalization of teachers being carried out there is no way where these math and science teachers substitution will be made,” he said.
The Minister added that even in the state created middle schools the “huge missing out” of Math and Science teachers compounded the problem.
In Nagaland, 24 Government High Schools secured nil results in the 2014. The next year, nil results of schools increased to 38 and in 2016, 30 schools produced nil results.
This was indicated as an improved figure according to the Minister while answering the queries of MLA Mhonlumo Kikon. While citing out the various causes on the nil results such as lack of Maths and Science teachers, failure to depute teachers in RMSA upgraded schools, proxy teachers etc, Yitachu stated, “Although the nil result increased to 38 in 2015, I was expecting at least some 100 schools will be nil. Then in 2016 also, honestly speaking I was expecting more schools to be nil. Rather it has improved to 30 schools only nil, so I think there has been improvement.”
Justifying the reasons for the poor results of government schools, Yitachu informed that in 2014, out of 293 high schools, 132 schools were not provided teachers. In 2016, 21 schools were still to be provided with teachers. Most of these schools were RMSA upgraded schools.
The first batch of 35 RMSA schools, though upgraded were not deputed nor appointed any teachers. Another reason, according the School Education Minister was that headmasters were not provided in at least 168 schools. So in the absence of administrative control, the teaching process in schools was affected.
In 2011, the government underwent upgrading of certain posts to JEOs and in the process many of Science and Math teachers were upgraded and replacements were not given, said Yitachu.
When asked about the remedial measures taken by the Department to improve HSLC results in the government high schools, the Minister mentioned that measures such rationalisation of schools and teachers, posting of headmasters and assistants headmaster to the schools without such officials, appointment of Math and Science Teachers even during freezing period, coaching classes in the government run schools, strengthening, monitoring and inspection of schools and remedial teaching in English, Math and Science under RMSA and SSA were undertaken.
On the number of primary school teacher and graduate teacher posts vacant after the retirement or demise of teachers from 2013 to 2014, there were 660 posts, including 128 graduate teachers and 532 primary teachers. The vacant posts are proposed to be filled up after the freezing is lifted by the State Government.
Kikon also questioned the department on the purchase of pick-up trucks for Mid day meals and whether it was necessary to buy vehicles when regular mid day meals cannot be provided. The Minister replied that after deliberating measures on how to deliver mid day meals, the department came up with the idea of MDM trucks.
The idea was put forward by the Minister himself after inspecting the schools in villages, where the school authorities had complained about the transportation fares costing higher than the MDM food grains.
“If we can come up with mobile pick up that will help in transporting the mid day meal items and also help the officials to inspect the schools so that transport costs was used to purchase the vehicles,” the Minister said. If it is successful, it can be a national success story, he hoped.
