Our Correspondent
Kohima | June 21
Minister for higher education and urban development, Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu, has stated that the figure of Nagaland’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) was still one of the lowest in the whole country “which remains a great concern for us”.
The National GER figure during the last 10th Five Year Plan was 11% and the target for the present plan is 16%, an addition of 5% during the present plan, said Dr. Liezietsu while officially declaring the taking over of Pfütsero College by the government, on June 20 last.
Nagaland GER was only 5% during the last plan, the Minister said adding, “We must see that our GER is improved at any cost.” He also stated that last year there were 4.75lakh students in government schools from classes I-IV but the number has dropped drastically in the Middle School level with further deterioration in the higher levels. “Because of this heavy dropout of students from one level to the next higher level, our GER in the higher education remains very low,” the Minister said.
Stating that education remains the greatest force for influencing human minds and also remains the only force which produces responsible citizens, the Minister said that improvement of GER by making the facilities available to the people “is very necessary”. “The progress may be slow to achieve the end but it is high time to make a beginning,” the Minister said.
