The State Level Award Function for Nagaland Reading Festival, organized by School Education Directorate & Samagra Shiksha Nagaland, in collaboration with ShikshaLokam, Bangalore, was held at NBCC Convention Centre, Kohima on 12th May 2023.
Advisor, School Education & SCERT, Dr. Kekhrielhoulie Yhome said that the literary festival is to encourage reading among the Nagas. Every Naga citizen is multilingual and exposed to rich linguistic opportunities which help in different types of skill development. Reading helps improve cognitive skills like Attention, Visual Processing, Auditory Processing, Working, Short-Term and Long-Term Memory, Sensory Integration, and also reasoning. Hence he encouraged the students on immense reading which will help strengthen cognitive skills and this will make the process of learning much easier. Yhome also acknowledged building leadership and the need to recognize and appreciate teachers. He further said that teachers should also take notes on working with disadvantaged groups in society which will help in facilitating positive growth for the development of children and the State as a whole.
The Advisor launched three new initiatives at the program: Literacy & Numeracy Fest under NIPUN Nagaland, Teachers Resource Package, and NIPUN App.
Commissioner & Secretary, School Education, SCERT & Vice Chairman NEMS, Kevileno Angami mentioned that education is a powerful tool that can bring social justice and equality and only through education, human potential can be optimized.
She also said that the celebration of reading should cascade and reach other private schools too and inculcating reading as a habit will improve everyone in their learning. Education for children is a fundamental right and delivery of education is a public service, she added.
Principal Director, School Education, Thavaseelan K, IAS said Nagaland is in the top 5 among the States for using Micro-Improvement Approach in schools. This approach collectively helps to enhance and showcase innovations in reading and learning and helps bridge the DIKSHA project. He also said that it was a team effort by the districts and the state for making the festival successful. He mentioned that two organizations have been instrumental in helping the festival become a success: Mantra 4 Change and Shikha Lokam, and that Reading Festival was to bring opportunities for the children and to motivate them in their future.
Winners of NRF & National Kala Utsav were: Government Primary School, Orchid, under EBRC, Wokha won the 1st prize, Government Middle School, Longdang under Tuensang District won 2nd prize and Government Middle School, Piphema Bazar, Chumukedima District won 3rd Prize.
(Takumpula, IA)
