An Approach to the Development of Educational Plan
The State Planning should help establish the specialization appropriate and imposed by the geography and manpower skills of each district of Nagaland. The State of Nagaland which consists of 11 (eleven) districts namely; Kohima, Mokokchung, Tuensang, Zuneboto, Phek, Wokha, Mon, Dimapur, Kiphere, Longleng, and Peren have a common historical tradition isolating it from the mainstream of Indian Economic Development. It allowed for the growth of separate ethnic identities and a political will away from the center. The existence of Nagaland since 1963 as the sixteen states of Indian Union has contributed towards the growth of sect oral plans for the state in the fields of water, power, transport and communication, agriculture and industry. Yet there is a need for “restructured district education plan which diagnoses the problems of each education sector and suggests measures of intervention within each district and for the state as a whole. The 3 (three) districts of Longleng, Kiphere and Peren have been added to this state because of its geographical and educational characteristics. The lack of quality education at the primary level coupled with the paucity of vocational and technical and secondary education, poor tertiary level professional institutes in the State of Nagaland has made it imperative that problems of the 3 (three) districts of Longleng, Kiphere and Peren be also reviewed with those of other 8(eight) districts of the state thereby sallying for a state perspective.
1. Historical Backdrop:
The state accounts for only 1,988,636 of the total Indian population out of whom the majority are scheduled tribes. It covers an area of 16,579 Sq. Kms of land of which 90% consists of mountains and hills. For centuries, these tribal people retained their traditional life styles until the coming of the British. Both animism and tribal economy (Jhuming Cultivation) remained intact until late. Educational development particularly literacy and Elementary Education took place due to the spread of Christianity through Missionary activities from late 19th century. The missionaries considered the three R’s as the most effective means of winning converts. The Education in the State related to the British Policy. The British Empire used the church as a means of propagating its commercial and territorial interests; posing as guardians of Christianity and donating lands and grants to Mission Schools. The American Baptist Mission among the Nagas continued the work of the Serampore Baptist Mission in Assam. These missionaries soon translated the native tribal languages of the Ao, Angami, Sema and Lotha etc into Roman scripts and started preaching their faith in tribal dialects, which helped in the spread of literacy and Elementary Education. In Nagaland, the traditional “Morung” or dormitory education for the youth (hunting and worldly skills before attainment of adult hood) did not die out because of missionary activity, but no such programme of work-oriented education was seen.
2. Demographic Characteristics:
The State portrays diverse demographic characteristics. Prior to the creation of the 2(two) district of Longleng and Kiphere, the district of Tuensang was the largest population and Phek was the smallest density in the state from 73 persons per kilometer. In all, majority of the districts deviate substantially from the state figure to 120 persons per one kilometer. Most of the districts have a predominantly rural population barring Mokokchung, Kohima and Dimapur, where urbanization has grown around Dimapur in the last few years. In 1988 most of the population of this state lived above the poverty live. Mokokchung is the highest literate district in the state at 84. 27 % and Mon is the lowest literate district at 42.25 % as per 2001 Census.
In view of diverse demographic indicators and yet a common historical and political post, educational planning will here to be tackled separately for each district but within the framework of State Planning which takes note of the comparative advantage of the state. Planning will also help the State develop from a disadvantaged past in which tertiary level education was almost negligible. Educational planning would help the state to become both self sufficient as well as a part of the mainstream of the Indian education.
3. Elementary Education:
At the level of Elementary Education the main concerns are dropouts and under- qualified teachers, untimely supply of Textbooks and other teaching and learning materials due to climate conditions such as heavy monsoon between June to August and poor transport and communication network pose serious constraints to the development of this sector. Further, the difficulties of procuring adequate Mathematics and Science teachers for the Middle Schools make the backward districts in the State seek for recruitment of teachers from outside their home districts. It may be mentioned that employment of outsiders does create hostility in the minds of the tribal as has been found in the anti-Hindi speaking people. Another problem in this state is the language issue at the Primary Level. It has been argued that where tribal languages are not developed English becomes the medium of instruction at the Primary Level in the state but where the tribal languages are developed such as the Ao, the Tenyidie, The Sema, and The Lotha. Education in the mother tongue makes rapid progress; however, the other backward tribes are slow in progress due to non developed languages.
4. Drop Outs:
Data pertaining to year 1991-1992 as given by the ministry of HRD shows that the state of Nagaland the drop-out was comparatively low that is 33.2 % Class I-V and 53.1 % Class I- VIII at the end of the elementary cycle. Before the advent of Sarva Shiksha Abhyan launched in the state, most schools have only one room, insufficient drinking water and no separate toilets for girls. Today, SSA has come in the state and special planning should be made for full construction of buildings in all Elementary education sectors. The parents of rural girl dropouts explained at length the Socio-economic constraints, which the family faces in sending their girls to schools (i.e. involvement with house- hold work and taking care of other children in the family as Mon district. They suggested the opening of non-formal centers for School dropouts, especially for girls. In this juncture, Alternate schooling of SSA was lunched by the KBBB in Mon district really rescued the measures, where many dropouts and never enrolled children from Class I to VIII were brought to the mainstream of growth of Primary and Middle Schools as much as 2500 children as per AE report, 2006.
The DISE data shows that there is continuous decrease in out of school children for the last two/three years. The number of school children was 60803 in the years 2005-2006 has come to 43854.The state has again worked on out of school children in the year 2006-2007 as a result, the state has succeeded to enroll 8519 out of school children through direct enrollment in schools. Data on the children mainstreamed from bridge ensure to regular schools.
AIS Progress & Mainstreaming based on AWP&B-2007-07.
Children enrolled in AIS in 2005-2006 Children main streamed till 2005-2006 Children enrolled in AIS in 2006-2007 Children main streamed till 2006-2007
29159 11666 19238 7695
This case study, shows that both poverty and parents illiteracy were the causes for such low enrollment and out of school children. The school curriculum was also found irrelevant (Mrs. Dr J. Jalali 1990) pointed out that the necessity of imparting environment linked education for the elementary level. In the Naga culture, where religion preaches equality of the sexes such as Christianity, the dropout rates for girls are not significant. Moreover, lack of housing facilities for teachers posted in remote and rural areas and infrastructure of school buildings are at the wretch condition, as is the case of the state leaves the schools functioning at half its strength.
The above mentioned facts make us conclude that through each district has a specific problem of its own regarding drop-outs yet certain points of intervention may be made which taken together would help develop a Plan for Elementary Education in the State.
(1) The medium of instruction should be in the mother tongue wherever possible in order to accommodate the diverse ethnic groups living in the state. This will prevent the feeling of isolation and cultural domination of any one tribe or linguistic group over minorities. It is felt that development of tribal languages is important for communication with first generation learners and their parents. More efforts have to be made to train English language teachers in this state through special pre-training and in-services teaching programmes. Hindi, which is introduced in the state at the Middle School level, will also have to be started from Class I onwards as adopted by the private Sectors.
(2) Curriculum of the Elementary stage should be decentralized and local specific keeping in mind ‘world of work’ of the rural child. This ‘Work’ component of education is important for the dropouts who will be able to participate better in the life outside school. By linking work with education the school would also seem more attractive to the rural student. At this stage, therefore, pre-vocational courses need to be introduced.
(3) Decentralized planning and administration of education is urged keeping in view the diverse environmental factors such as ecology- the aim being to relate curriculum to the immediate environment of the learner.
(4) Stress has to be paid towards improving the quality of Mathematics and Science teaching through refresher courses.
(5) Efforts will also be made to extent the SSA norms of SSA to all Schools particularly civil works, free school uniform and timely distribution of textbooks and other teaching learning materials. Instead of free school ready made bags for girls under SSA, plan may be made locally available low cost bags as to encourage work culture in the Naga women community.
(6) Flexible school time–table needs to be kept in mind for children employed in agricultural pursuits and where ever possible no-formal centers of EGS and AIS should be opened and continued.
(7) Better housing facility for rural teachers, especially the female teachers must be provided. A conscious effort has to be made to transfer both the male and female to one if they are a couple.
(8) Teachers training should be imparted by the DIETS and EBRCs in collaboration with the SCERT, Directorate of School Education, and NCERT for improving the quality of the school curriculum.
(9) NUPA’s role would be to impart training to School Heads, Planners, and Administrators on decentralized planning and administration in collaboration with the State Education at the Directorate and with Institutions like the SCERT, DIETs ,EBRCs etc. for each district and also to do micro studies on planning and administration of Primary Education in collaboration with Directorate of School Education.
(10)Wherever possible, Community participation has to be tapped for providing financial, administrative, and academic inputs into the school. The Communitisation Act of 2002, the Community participation has been stressed to the fullest extension under the chairmanship of Village Education Committee and more training programme should be adopted by all District Education heads. This will be a non-governmental input into the education sector.
(11) Incentive Schemes such as Supply of Free Textbooks, Free Uniforms, Mid-Day Meals, and incentives such as Daily or Monthly Attendance Scholarships should only be offered to low enrolment ethnic groups and socio-economically deprived population living in educationally and economically backwards districts (portion or area) in the state. For example Phek district, like Tizu area, Meluri division like Phongkhuri area etc. Hence, exercises on micro-level planning have to be conducted for identifying the specific groups needing incentive schemes. It is suggested to urge the DMA Annual Work Plan and its Perspective plans may be encouraged.
(12) Special seminar on the problems of Educational Development in the State should be organized and Sector-wise consisting of State Level Educational functionaries and grass root workers in order to make a holistic plan for the State.
(13)Special planning should be made for the movement of all District Education Officers, Deputy Inspector of Schools for the better supervision of SSA and other educational activities.
(14) Special planning should also be made of computer education in all schools in the state.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, it may be said that through planning for each district has to be evolved separately, yet for State Development, it is essential to have a holistic concept of Educational Planning in which all districts taken together would develop the state. The Directorate of School Education, Nagaland, the Planning section that supposed to act as the model agency for the State needs to hold special workshops on district wise planning in Primary Education inviting experts from the SCERT, Field Level functionaries and all Departments of Education. The voluntary organizations working in the State should also partake along with Private Educational enterprises. Such Seminars and Workshops would assist the State Government to direct it activities in a positive manner without wastage of financial and material resources.
However, open learning systems such as the Open School, Open University contribute to educating dropouts and encourage in service training yet as far as possible the effort should be to strengthen the formal channels of Education in the State, equipping it with the latest technology. This is suggested in view of the facility input that has and is already going into the formal system and because of the poor transport and communication net work, which delays the transportation of teaching-learning materials to the districts or state.
Educational Planning on Elementary has to take note of the changing economic activities in the State and plan the linking of education with productive work in almost all its districts. It is felt that such any approach would make Elementary Education not only meaningful education but also help to solve the mismatch between demand and supply of skilled manpower.
Finally, greater effort should be made to locate and develop Scientific and Technological Institutes in the state and encourage both locals and outsiders to work in the State with special incentives schemes such as housing and extra allowances to reduce the brain drain away from the State. Monitoring of Education progress in the State has to be reemphasized.
Zaveyi Nyekh, DEO, Phek.
