In the beginning the communitisation programme covers all elementary schools in the rural areas of the State. Emboldened by the success of the programme in the rural areas, it has been extended to the urban areas where Ward Education Committees (WEC) has been constituted. With the coverage of the urban schools the entire elementary education sector in the State comes under the ambit of communitisation. The Communitisation programme has also been gainfully dovetailed with the Sarva Shiksha Programme (SSA) and has become an ideal vehicle for its effective implementation since SSA is for universalization of elementary education.
However, literally speaking High schools does not come under the ambit of communitisation of elementary education in Nagaland unless the government enacts some new law or amend the existing communitisation Act 2002. Therefore, without some changes in this Act, the VECs are literally powerless as long as High school is concerned because through the act of communitisation of elementary education, VEC gets its power and functions which are given below:
• Enforcement of “No work, no pay”
• Improve Community participation
• Strengthening of Parent Teachers Association
• Stress on quality education
• Dropout students are re-enrolled
• Bogus teachers identified and weeded out
However, with the implementation of RMSA scheme, many elementary schools have now been upgraded into High schools and with up gradation come appointment of RMSA teachers. And now another passage of confusion is born out of this over the extension of VECs power to GHS teachers because without legal sanction, VECs would be misusing their powers by taking action against a GHS staff appointed under RMSA for not being in duty. So the question is when will the Nagaland Legislative Assembly amend the communitisation bill and empowers VECs to utilize its powers and functions upon irregular High School teachers also in an effective way?
Khrukroku Vero AG Colony, Kohima
