Four young Naga officers in remote areas working to educate and motivate students
Vishü Rita Krocha
Kohima | May 31
There is a new brand of young NCS (Nagaland Civil Service) officers posted in the interior areas of Nagaland, who are making a difference by voluntarily teaching school children and motivating young people in their spare time. While most of these remote places have little or no access to basic human rights like electricity coupled with poor network connectivity, many schools in these areas also lack subject teachers, which is where the role of young officers fit in.
For 29 year old, Sentilong Ozukum, who is currently posted as EAC in Monyakshu, located 130 kilometers away from Mon, developing human resources is one of his major concerns. Education is one of the ways through which this can be developed, he stated. For the past three months, he has been voluntarily teaching Mathematics and Science in a church-run school called “Beijing School” before office hours. Prior to that, he has been helping students with their studies, while young people continue to gather at his house in the evenings for a session of interaction, learning and motivation. During the summer break, he along with the teachers will also be providing extensive coaching classes to the students of GHS, Bumei, which is the only government high school under Monyakshu subdivision.
Stressing that without grassroot development, there cannot be development in the true sense, the young officer asserted the need to focus on issues such as education, sanitation and healthcare. Sentilong Ozukum has, in the meantime, taken initiatives in these areas in collaboration with the Eluetheros Christian Society (ECS) with the view to help people get basic health care. Few sensitization programmes on sanitation and medical camps have been conducted in different villages under Tobu also with assistance from the CMO Mon.
Interestingly, he has received calls from parents based in urban areas like Kohima and Mokokchung asking if they could send their children to his place of posting so they could spend a month learning about village life. A staunch believer of education for all round development, Sentilong Ozukum is hopeful that change will slowly take place.
Yanithung Ngullie, who is serving as EAC, Mopong in Mon district has been instrumental in the performance of GHS Mopong that has set a record of 2 students passing the HSLC from the school in the current year. Past records suggest that students barely get through HSLC while the literacy rate in the Mopong circle stands at only 30% according to 2011 census. Here, one student passing HSLC is a big thing, he stated while insisting that it was with the collaboration of the teachers that the school has performed better.
He has been teaching Social Studies and English in the government school before he attends office and hopes to make the GHS a model school. Shelling out from his own pocket, he has also procured notebooks and chairs for the needy students. Electricity being a big problem, the young officer further plans to procure solar lamps for the school students. What he would call “supplementary teaching” has undeniably helped students perform better. “In other districts, we may not get so many opportunities but here, we have so many opportunities to work for the people”, he stated.
James Renbi Kikon, EAC, Phokhungri is a recipient of Governor’s commendation certificate on Republic Day 2016 for his humanitarian work in Phokhungri under Phek district. There was tension in the area when he initially joined and students were afraid to attend school. However, he helped them overcome the fear and taught in the GHS Phokhungri last year while also observing the shortage of subject teachers.
Pointing to the lack of access to many modern facilities, he said his involvement with the school keeps him active in a way, even while asserting that, “I just feel that being with students and interacting with them is a part of my administrative duty.”
Nockpai Konyak, EAC Satoi under Zunheboto district has been helping and motivating young students, who are preparing to appear for civil service examinations while terming it his duty to help school kids. He also pointed to the lack of subject teachers especially Mathematics, Science and Language in some government schools and said, “Considering the plight of the students, we are bound to help them.” Impressing upon that many NCS officers fill this gap as part-time teachers, he felt that it also serves as an encouragement for the students to work harder and also be more sincere and obedient.
