Dr Lemwang Chuhwanglim
Social Activist
The existence of “11,000 excess teachers” in Nagaland had reached the eyes of the Naga people as myth. This over confidence statement betrays and concealed the reality sufferings of many schools and colleges in rural and town areas especially in the so called backward areas. If the theory of democracy where majority matters and applies in every statement and decision making to justify it, then, the decade abandoned and unattended schools and colleges in Nagaland with insufficient teachers continue to remain voiceless for the rights to good and qualitative education of every citizen. The underneath sufferings of schools and colleges in the State had been existing beyond the justification of “Excess Teachers” stated by the Advisor of School Education, Nagaland. The repercussion of such statement refutes the undeniable failures of the concern department that promulgates wrong advocacy from the four walls, ignoring the poor development of schools and colleges beyond.
The existence of 11.000 excess in Nagaland is falsified by the slavery of insufficient teachers in many schools and colleges in the State for so long. Moreover, the protests, appeals and requests from colleges and schools for appointment of sufficient teachers were kept concealed and unattended until now. In a recent visit of few individuals to few schools and colleges in the Eastern Nagaland, have found that there are numerous loopholes in many aspects in Government schools and colleges such as poor buildings, no single computer for staffs, no proper water supply, insufficient toilets, electricity, benches, inappropriate location, no sweepers and most importantly, no sufficient teachers. In one of the Government Middle schools the headmaster becomes sweeper and peon for the past several years. There are no teachers for few courses like Math, Hindi, Science and others. In one of the colleges, the long time appealed for the appointment of sufficient teachers remains unfulfilled. These findings stand juxtaposed the press released of “11.000 excess teachers” in the State that indicates the insufficient knowledge of the State Education Department and the State Government produces insufficient teachers, ignoring the reality prevailing in the unheard and unattended schools and colleges.
It is the sole responsibility of the Head of the State Education department and the State Government for misleading the parents and students in the Naga society with misleading information of “Excess Teachers” circulated to justify the failures. The State Government must realize that the then Naga society has transformed from ignorant people to active and public action oriented society to fight against any corruptions emerging in different departments in the State. In assumption of the School Education department of the State, to fool the common people with wrong information from the State government in any aspects, the State government chooses to excavate its own graveyard. The long term dictatorship power of the State Government applied upon the common people had gone beyond the limitation of people’s tolerance. As a result, citizens have become more dictators upon the State Government in participating to unveil the long term corruption and misleading system. The emerging power of the common people against the manipulation of departments under the State Government are blooming day by day which hopes that justice will prevail sooner or later at its own time and period.
The issue of proxy teachers had been argued everyday without solving it and this issue inevitably falls upon the irresponsible heads of School Education department and the State Government. The pride of literacy rate in the State may safe the report of School Education department in some ways, however, the qualitative literacy rate may not be favorable as expected. When the State Government fails to build good quality of schools and colleges with basic needs such as sufficient teachers, school infrastructures, good roads to schools and colleges, friendly school atmosphere and environments, the betrayed souls of underprivileged and poor education students will continue to haunt the consumers of the allotted funds to suffering eternity. Nelson Mandela’s quote “No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated” and Erasmus “The main hope of a nation lies in the proper education of its youth”, unless the Government of Nagaland liberates the right to proper and qualitative education of every citizen, even if every single plant in the State bears money, it will remain a fallen state.
