The headline in the first page of Eastern Mirror in its 12th January, 2014 issue which read, ‘Red Flag for zero performing schools,’ caught the attention of its readers. It carried the news of the impending Government’s policy to overhaul in the educational system from cleansing bogus teachers to relegating nil performance of the Govt. High schools and Middle Schools in order to improve the quality of education. Truly but surprisingly in the following week, notice for downgrade of 129 newly upgraded Govt. High Schools in Nagaland by NBSE started reaching the office of the affected schools which came as a big shock to the affected Schools, students and the parents alike. In the infamous notice of the NBSE it was mentioned that the NBSE would not accept the enrolment of the students of class-9 & 10 from all the newly upgraded high schools until the Govt. /RMSA notify as recognized or full-fledged high schools.
Needless to mention the negative impact this notice has caused to the students, parents and all the affected schools alike. Did the Govt., Dept or NBSE not think of the future of the students who have taken admission in these schools before issuing such order? Where would the poor parents especially in the interior rural areas send their children to study? The main aim and vision of RMSA is to provide quality education available, accessible and affordable to all young persons in the age group of 14 – 18 years. This is totally denial and deprivation of the rights of the students studying in these schools. This utterly senseless decision of the Govt. is nothing but a massacre of the generation. This decision is not what the Hon’ble Education Minister had said in his speech when he took over the Dept. Where is the question of nil performance of these Schools? Their students must have passed class-9 board examination and so, been promoted to class-10. Basing on their good performance they must have been selected by NSBSE in their class-10 selection examination to write HSLC examination in February, 2014. These newly upgraded High schools are yet to show their performance in HSLC examination.
What about those High Schools which were upgraded in the 1st batch under RMSA in the year 2009-10 or those that were upgraded by the govt of Nagaland earlier? Why none of those schools were in the list of the recent effect if the Dept. is really carrying out its exercise as said. If the NBSE is advised not to accept the enrolment of students from these newly upgraded High Schools because their recognition is still under process, then why these Schools were upgraded and were allowed to take admission of students in class-9 and calss-10 during the previous academic years. Who will answer these questions; Govt of Nagaland or Education Dept. Or Is RMSA responsible for all this mess or is it NBSE?
In the last winter Assembly session, on 17th December, 2013, Shri CM Chang, Hon’ble Minister for School Education furnished to the House that 496 schools were upgraded under RMSA and SSA and 1464 teacher post were sanctioned by the Ministry of Human Resource, GOI and received sanction of R 94,18,67,730 which was credited to School Education Dept Accounts from SSA, while R 2424.05 lakhs for the same from 2009-10 upto October 2013 under RMSA. According to sources from RMSA, it is said that Nagaland State had received grant of R 8325.97 lakhs from Ministry of Human Resource Development for implementation of RMSA in the State during the year 2011-12 which is the highest among the eight north-eastern States. The fund so received is certainly for High schools under RMSA including these 129 newly upgraded and recently downgraded High Schools. Sources from these schools revealed that the Dept. did neither deploy any teacher for secondary classes nor grant any fund for High School infrastructures to any of these newly upgraded high schools. Then, where have this huge amount sanctioned by RMSA gone? On what head this money being spent? The public of Nagaland in general and the students in particular want the answer from the Govt. and the Dept. What is RMSA, Nagaland Education Mission Society doing? Is it not the duty of NEMS to ask account from the implementing dept. or monitor judicious utilization of RMSA fund for that matter?
Where are the Students’ organizations like NSF and ENSF at this time of students’ crisis when the people’s govt. is in a senseless generation massacre spree? Why no Hohos or civil organisations are voicing out for the future of the students. Everyone should come out boldly and voice out against this heartless action of the Govt including the Education Dept and NBSE which is jeopardising the future of our generation.
The govt. must immediately revoke this order before it is too late!
