The Naga Blog is a forum on facebook where Nagas from Nagaland and around the world network, share ideas and discuss a wide range of topics from politics and philosophy to music and current events in Nagaland and beyond. The blog is not owned by any individual, nor is it affiliated to or associated with any political party or religion. The only movement it hopes to stir is the one raised by the voices of the Nagas every step of the way, amassing perhaps to mass consciousness one day. www.facebook.com/groups/thenagablog
Richard Belho: Bad education system and policy will set us back by another 30 years. I am sure the Department will cry foul instead of taking the blame. However, I would suggest that the Government look into this issue seriously. Much talk has been on for success of VDBs, Community and Church projects in various front but how about education sector? When Student Unions approach me for advice, I tell them just as much as it is the union's duty to felicitate meritorious students, it is a bigger issue to address the School dropouts. Find out the root of the problem. Nagaland has maximum number of employed school teachers and believe me, they are some of the most intelligent and smart people around. But maybe, just maybe, something is falling short in the delivery. Whatever the reason, the number is there for all to see. If the dropout issue is a social problem, I suggest that every community establish community farms where the kids can be trained early in life for other skills instead of wasting their time waiting for the next academic year. Society must come together on this issue which is much greater than all issues put together since our future hinges on this.
Aaron Assumi: Nagas need to adopt the culture of sending their children to government institutions whether rich or poor and see how government institutions will run. When their bosses’ children are in their school, there will be a natural change.
Thaam Chuba Thai: Apart from some sincere and hardworking government school teachers, many highly qualified, brilliant teachers consider their job as a stop gap while they search for better posts, so tend to have a lackadaisical attitude towards the welfare and future of their innocent students. Many govt teachers with graduate/ post graduate degrees who are posted in rural/ interior areas hire people who are just matric passed to teach in their place while they stay in towns searching for better prospects. I have one appeal to make, please stop transfers with posts from interior areas to urban places like Kohima and Dimapur!
There is a post graduate teacher who did B.Ed as an in service teacher, as soon as that person completed the degree, placed a class 12 drop out as proxy teacher at the upper primary school and enjoying the Kohima city hawa this year! What shocked me most is the place of posting happens to be that teacher's birth place and village in the interior areas. Wonder on what terms the village education committee let the teacher keep a half cooked proxy! No offence meant here against anyone in particular, but the prevalent trend these days seems to be that many local teachers in the interior areas prefer to transfer their posts to Kohima or Dimapur and if they couldn't, they just hire a proxy and take a looong vacation searching for greener pastures or just lolling around in cities. Those teachers must realise that the future generations of their own tribes are losing educationally and economically because of their callous attitudes towards their professions. Very unethical and heartless!
Agreed that the teachers are over qualified for primary or high school so doesn't want to stay at their places of posting, so why did they apply for the same in the first place? They should be grateful that they got a chance to teach their own brothers and sisters in their own village/tribal area, contributing to uplift of one’s own society, because a teacher is the foundation pillar of future generations
Wapang Kichu: I strongly believe the system of education that we have adopted is also one of the main reasons behind this school dropout problem. To support my statement, here is some situation we need to look closely.
1. Suppose you are presented with a situation where the system doesn't give a damn whether you go to your office or not... But it is mandatory that every employee will get their salary regularly...!!!??? How many Nagas will go to office and work honestly??? I will not bother to go to my office... This same situation is given to our children today. (No detention policy) I am not against this policy. It’s just that I think we are not yet ready for this system.
2. After following this non detention policy from classes 1-8, the students are directed to take a different kind of examination (back to old system), where majority of students are detained... Because they don't know anything (that's what the system has produced so far...
NOTHING!!! It has just made the Nagas more lazier than before.
Hence NO.1 Position in school dropout (this is the result of wrong education policy).
Now, the consequences of this human resource experiment will not lead to anything good...I am not God so, I cannot tell how we have created a generation of --------I don't have the right word to say it... Just do the math and be prepared to face the social menace in double dose...
Goodbye Chief Guest: A change in paradigm
Peter Rutsa: An organisation needed to 'break the ice'. Thank you Dimapur Ao Senso Telongjem for the decision to discourage inviting chief guest to various functions within the district and amongst member units.
Community resolutions like this not only take time for successful adherence but also have the potential to bring forth disagreement and cause strained relationships between members in the course of abolition and its implementation. Taking this decision is proof of bold leadership and wisdom. For the desired outcome of such a resolution can only be achieved when a community is united and the officiating leadership is honest and steadfast.
This path breaking resolution discouraging and prohibiting 'chief guest' culture by ASTD/AUD should be supported and followed up by every other similar organisation in Nagaland and the apex tribal bodies. Nagas should not harbour any reservation in emulating each other’s positive aspects!
Community activities and resolutions such as these do justice to the 'pioneers' tag associated with the Ao tribe.
Let us do away with Chief Guest culture or at least exclude the money that is expected to arrive along with it!
Let us also realise that a Chief Guest doesn't always have to be a politician!
Wewakhro Khape: People don’t bother about his/her speech but wonder and guess how much amount he/she will give as Chief Guest. We need to change our mindset.
Rokovizo Kuotsu Angami Naga: The people have been following the practice of creating images, CM's name or the other politicians for the past many years at any ceremony. Now, one should put an end to this, following the footstep of ASTD. Aye, a chief guest doesn't always have to be politicians. When I was in my village celebrating 50 years anniversary, the chief guest was a politician, of a highly corrupt, politically influencing, one of the top leaders of prominent party, and renowned face of State (mostly as bad image). When he started giving speech, I was trying to pretend that I am not hearing, and finally when he ended his speech, I was just regretting and searching for a wall near me so that I can hit my head with the wall. You know why? Because the theme in his speech was, "How to live honesty with trueness". Trying a speech to address the future parents, revealing to them how much it is important for parents, a life in their hands, he forgot how he's been playing with thousands and thousands of lives in many ways his whole life. Hats off to ASTD!!!
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