Deliberation held on ANSTA, NSSFOF agitation
Morung Express News
Kohima | May 28
A deliberation on the agitation and demand of All Nagaland School Teachers Association (ANSTA) and Nagaland Secondary Schools Field Officers’ Federation (NSSFOF) for bifurcation of Higher Secondary from the Secondary and Elementary education was held on Saturday at de Oriental Grande, Kohima.
The discussion was held among representatives from Nagaland School Education Administration Officers Association (NSEAOA); All Nagaland Hindi Teachers’ Union (ANHTU), Nagaland Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan Teachers Association 2013 (NRMSATA), Nagaland Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Teachers’ Association (NSSATA), All Nagaland Physical Education Teachers Association (ANPETA), All Nagaland Graduate Primary Teachers’ Association (ANGPTA) and Nagaland Government Higher Secondary School Employees’ Association (NGHSSEA) in the presence of Yitachu, Minister for School Education & SCERT, FP Solo, Commissioner and Secretary and other officers of the Department of School Education.
“No school should stand alone. Just to bifurcate Class 11 and 12 is not possible. If you have another formula, bring it to me,” Yitachu stated while expressing hope that better solution to this approach would be brought in.
Discussing on the various complications in the Department of School Education, Yitachu gave a brief background of education provided in the past in Nagaland and its evolvement to the present day.
Yitachu said in the past, many of the teachers had passed only elementary or middle school, but were made to teach in schools.
However, in the present, the Minister for School Education noted that most of the teachers are graduates. “That is the kind of backgrounds our education system has been brought into. We have to know where our root is,” Yitachu explained.
Hoping that ANSTA will suspend their agitation, Yitachu reiterated that bifurcating the two cadres will go against the interest of the students and the educational institutions and it will cost the State exchequer dearly. Commissioner and Secretary, School Education FP Solo appealing to the rest of the teachers to give their extra effort in the midst of agitation said, “We must keep our schools running for the sake of the children.”
Wonthungo Tsopoe, Additional Director (HoD), School Education said any issue should be discussed thoroughly before taking any action or decision. “Bifurcation cannot take place overnight. We need to analyse. The time is not right,” Tsopoe stated.
According to him, for 52 years, the department has taken many steps without proper analysis. “That is why we are in a mess. It has been an accumulated problem that we have to solve one after another,” asserted Tsopoe while urging all the associations to work together to bring improvements and progress in the department.
The meeting also highlighted on the neglect of teachers of various categories in the Education department such as the Hindi teachers, Physical Education teachers, Vocational teachers, Primary teachers etc.
“Majority of the teachers are primary teachers but in most of our discourses and deliberations we don’t talk about them,” highlighted Solo. He pointed out that primary teachers are an important segment of the department and the society because they are the main builders of the foundation of the society.
“The students are the victims here,” said a representative of ANPETA who expressed the need for the ANSTA and NSSFOF to call off the agitation. A representative of the ANHTU said the issue does not take the voice of Hindi teachers into account. Representatives of ANSTA and NSSFOF who are agitating were not present in the deliberation.
