Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 12
The Mayangnokcha Award Trust (MAT) today organised an orientation programme on assessment of schools for quality education and students development in Nagaland at the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur. Besides Vipralhou Kesiezie, Director of the State Council of Educational Research & Training (SCERT) as chief guest, and Sedevikho Khro, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur, as guest of honour, the programme was also attended by proprietors, principals, headmasters, headmistresses, administrators and teachers of different schools, and leaders of NGOs within Dimapur.
In his welcome address, Dr. Sunep Imchen, trustee of the MAT, said the project was formally launched on May 29, 2009, at Kohima and also informed that the assessment project is with assistance and support from the Government of Nagaland under the Year of Capacity Building 2008-09. “Today, with the fast changing economic system and mode of wealth creation, the issue is not much of literacy, but much more of skills, aptitude and core values. Schools and curriculum in Nagaland does not appear to be equipped to face these challenges, whereas the challenges are real and urgent,” he said.
Dr. Imchen asserted that a major agent of change would be critical analysis of school curriculum, practices, management, teaching-learning and evaluation systems, innovative practices, etc., and key improvements in each of these. Stating that this shall call for an assessment of each school, he continued that this shall provide an effective feedback platform for schools to concerned authorities for policy changes, interventions, curriculum design, etc. and the assessment of schools shall be done through a voluntary and participative process, he added.
Vipralhou Kesiezie, in his speech, said that the bottom line for this assessment in the state should be ‘innovate or perish’. Referring to the assessment programme, Kesiezie questioned, “Why should we need our schools to be assessed?” and continued that “our schools or institutions are something like a market or shop run by proprietors or teachers”. “Do we know what we are offering to our children or the society?” he questioned.
He asserted that “we design and develop our education according to the needs of our society or country.” Advising the school authorities, he said, “We are responsible for making human resource development for our society.” Others who spoke on the occasion were Sedevikho Khro, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur, and Er. Moa Aier, trustee and project coordinator for MAT.
