Some of those who voted YES had this to say:
• Yes, in order to check the irregularities if teachers. • Yes, responsible authorities should be terminated! • Yes, after shutting down the Education office.
Some of those who voted NO had this to say:
• No. Make the necessary changes, like putting in place experienced and committed teachers, and monitoring the performance of the schools closely. Give the required facilities and instead of pointing fingers, find out the core issues hindering progress. There is a need to be practical and action oriented mechanism so that positive changes can come about. Put in place strict guidelines that are uniformly implemented and ensure that no proxy teachers are kept. Schools are the most important building blocks, after family, for individual growth therefore serious thought must be given to make sure that the government schools are well equipped and run. For some, government schools are the only option so it should be made the best option. The SCERT can also do research on government schools that are running successfully, within and outside of the country, and can take the ideas and can try to implement it.
• No. Only the irresponsible or incapable individuals in these schools should be replaced.
• No, it is unfair. Instead of shutting down the schools, the incompetent teachers and management should be checked for improvement, provided the requisite number of students is fulfilled.
• No! Absolutely not. Poor, inconsiderate and ignorant recommendation by SCERT. Aren't they aware about the factors at play that leads to "incompetent" schools!? Why don't they make recommendations to plug such lacunae instead! But this is what is expected from a department with majority of its employees (right from academic to clerical level) as backdoor/political appointees. Not surprised.
• No. They should see the problem rather than closed down of school. It's easy to close a school but do they really try to know why school is not doing well.
• No instead Check the teacher who are irregular/who don't attain their duty
• No, the department should take steps for improvement.
• No. Not at all. Solution does not lie in shutting school but rather on improving policy and structural engineering
• No... Because for many of our rural students that's the only school they might have in the village.
• No, it should never be closed down instead all those careless teachers should be suspended without salary. It's not the student’s fault, why should it be closed down. If the school is not doing fine, the teachers needs to be changed and those who were teaching should be suspended.
• Big no, should we close down all the road in Nagaland since it is not ply-able or we repair and maintain the road for communication.
• Big NO! Instead of shutting down incompetent schools, the incompetent teachers should be terminated. In which case thousands of teachers may lose their jobs but many many more thousands of students will be saved. Let us save our students, let us save our children. Without fear please terminate the proxy and incompetent teachers.
• NO! Here is why... 1. The problem is not the school, problem is the few corrupted school teachers but unlike Private schools, headmaster/principal in Govt schools does not have autonomy/power to MANAGE the school in terms of hiring/firing teacher since the hiring/firing in Govt schools is done centrally at the Directorate by bureaucrats with political interference thus there is no autonomy in Govt school management. 2. Problem is not the teachers or principal or the school. Problem is the political, bureaucratic & village authority interference in Govt School Management. 3. Solution is not biometric, private schools have no biometric but they thrive. 4. Solution is not closing down schools. Solution lies in the simple management concept called Autonomy and Decentralisation wherein School is managed by educators and not politicians, bureaucrats or village community. If Govt & SCERT cannot even understand this simple management principle & logic then we should all migrate to Jupiter!
• No. Why should the children suffer because of the Adults? SCERT or a competent body should study why some government schools are producing good results. The faults are not the children don't let them pay for it. Officials, teachers, VEC, village, parents and every adult will be responsible for the failure. Find out what works and do a massive soul-searching. When so much is already invested in education, why should those in the interior villages have to travel for education.
• No, to shut down the so called 'incompetent' government schools is not the answer. The so called 'competent' authority like the SCERT must diagnose the problems & give solutions to the problems.
• If the so-called 'incompetent' govt. schools shut down, only a few may stay, which may- by ricocheting- indicate both NBSE & SCERT too are incompetent. Hence, they have to shut down. Therefore, the solution lies in the commitment of all the stakeholders- remember, SCERT, NBSE, teachers, pupils & parents are all part of the institution by default to make or unmake it.
Some of those who voted OTHERS had this to say:
• Before making such a preposterous statement, SCERT should also conduct a similar survey, but this time on the teachers. Sample questions can range from how many times they attend school to how many of them finish syllabus in time. Or what methodology do they use for teaching to how their preparation. Students can be the respondents. Or to take it even further, conduct a surprise teaching test. The surprise being no date or even a slightest hint of it going to be conducted. Eliminate the service of all absent teachers along with their proxies and those that don’t score above 60 %. For those that score less than 80%, mark as “needs improvement” and make them sit for a re-test with no salary until they clear the test satisfactorily! After this, a suggestion can be made as to whether the government schools needs to be closed or incompetent teachers needs to be penalised by being taken off from their jobs!
• Government policy to communitise the government school is to keep check and balances between the Local people and the government teachers. The power has already been vested with the people to check and report the irregularities, midday meal, development etc. Are we as a community in charge of the particular school being competent to check the progress of the school? Government is doing their job in imparting training and shelling out huge amount of money as salary. Our culture of blaming the government will have to be stopped completely; we should play our part too as a responsible keeper of the government property.
• Generally no, particularly yes. In some specific schools we need sincere, dedicated regular teachers. In some schools the citizens in that particular area bypass the school and send them outside their convenience. May be the parents wanted to live in so called developed areas. May be they don't feel like working in their fields as usual. Had a neighbourhood where some parents sleeps the hours when their children are in school. Amusing. The particular area leaders should take into account the management of schools. It's a challenge they should not overlooked. I feel dirty politics exist even at the grassroot level which has become a stumbling block. Schools are our priceless assets. If private schools of an individual can do it well why not the gifted govt schools which is a public property, means it belongs to us all, can do much better. Lack of belongingness is a virus attacking the development. Let's polish our shoes before it's late. Student Union for students, Area/Village leaders and elders for school development please. Last but not the least be impartial, be fair as some VEC' s record are filled with ‘ism’ which cause a lot of sickness.
• It is the teacher who is largely responsible and not the student either for good or poor results. Therefore, it would be fairer to terminate teachers on whose subject majority of students are failing consecutively for two or three years.
• Pay a visit to Schools. The school is not doing right or wrong. But the teachers? Management Committee or any concerned heads of the department?
• I suggest improvement of incompetent schools rather than shutdown. The purpose for opening of government schools would be defeated if the non performing schools are closed down. The poor performance of students or the number of students' enrollment should not be the criteria at all to shutdown schools. Please don't shut down the schools, instead send your agents and study the causes for poor performance, take steps to reform it.
• Employ the experienced teachers from private schools. They would happily accept I guess. But not possible.
• How can a government school be incompetent? Incompetency lies in the functioning of the school and with communtisition of school education, management lies in the hands of the local people. It is upto the local people how to manage the school and make it competent. Solution does not lie in closing down the school but finding out the real problems and addressing them. Closing down the schools does not in anyway affect those errant teachers but it will surely affect the local people and those poor parents who cannot afford to send their children to private schools. Just want ask if ‘low’ is a reason enough to close down schools. Does low students enrollment amount to incompetency of the school? Employ the right people to the right job and see the change you want to see.
• What might be the reason they wanted to shut down government schools in Nagaland? In order to shut down its better why don't the present government implement some teachers rule, because something is better than nothing .The second thing is that why don't the concerned individual living for society educate village GB's and village society. There are many complaints regarding teachers in rural areas making their own choice of teaching so if the present government implements some harsh rules and regulations then I hope it might work out. Just my view.
• First 1. Know the cause why those schools are no performing well. 2. Apply the remedy. 3. See the result. 4. Improving then the school should be given another chance. 5. No change or unimproved, then definitely see the matter and transfer the school location to some better potential area or kick out the teacher which ever matter relate.
• Time to time DEO/SDEO come and check proxy teachers or absentees but no actions are taken against them ever, so most of the teachers do kushi kushi.
• Duh... What logic is this? So, if the only primary school in my village Yimpang is shut down. SCERT will buy truck to ferry all the school children in Yimpang village to Wokha town primary school everyday for education? Now multiply this with hundreds of non performing schools in all districts!
