Development Forum (Education Sector) of Noklak District, held a meeting on 15th September 2020 at DC Office under the Chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Noklak, Reny Wilfred, IAS.
The forum discussed on “District Vision Document for quality education for all” and to improve the quality of education in the District with a vision to have a cent percent pass in class 10 and 12 in the Government Schools and to improve quality education at the village level with focus on preschool and preliminary education to set foundations.
It also discussed on improving pre-school and primary education, integrating basic life skills at the school level, integrating Anganwadi, village health nutrition day, Sakhi One Stop Centre, Mahila Shakti Kendra, Nehru Yuva Kendra with the school education system to improve health, nutrition and hygiene among children and parents, and also about tackling proxy teacher issue to improve village level education while considering the humanitarian side of the issue. Improving Maths and Science education at school level with adoption of technology and new pedagogical methods were also a focus area of the discussion.
Outlines of a Search, Verification and Implementation committee were deliberated for adopting strategies exemplary extracurricular activities and technology based educational possibilities for improving science and maths education. Leadership training for teachers and students and soft skill training through utilization of programmes under NYK and potentials of Mobile Lab and ATAL Tinkering Lab to spurt interest in School Kids were submitted by the forum members for moulding younger generation with leadership skills and competency to approach real life problem in the pragmatic way.
One of the main highlights of the discussion was to come up with a quarterly format to submit a progress report to state level through DPDB, on various education quality improvement parameters and infrastructure.
The forum also discussed issue relating to lack of basic school infrastructures, teachers accommodation, class 9 dropout rate, measures to improve village level enrolment of pre matric and post matric Scholarship, and the need of more tribal residential schools and hostels in the rural areas.
Puchai P.M, Graduate teacher of GHSS Noklak and former President of ANSTA, Tuensang Unit, on his presentation focus on the improvement of Students quality education and overall upliftment of the students.
Piju Mathew, Acting Head Master St. Paul School Noklak and who is also awardee of State Teachers Award 2020 presented on the quality improvement measures taken by private schools that could be replicated in the district action plan.
Chongkoi Khiamniungan, ‘Coordinator and Community Development Promoter’ spoke on the sustainable human resource and educational development of the district. Under the aegis of Coordinator and Community Development Promoter’ of KBCA, she will be looking upon and providing village level voluntary support and public mobilization to various departments of the district to ensure long term sustainable development with focus on short term and long term measures. She highlighted that the focus area of Developmental Promoter would be Education and Career Guidance, Skill Development to boost local economy, Agriculture, Agri Processing and Marketing, Tourism and Promoting Noklak as Tourism Hot Spot of North East. As a first step, career guidance cell would be set up in KBCA to benefit parents and children to show them the path to higher education, scholarships, reservation, government financial aids and employment opportunities.
Muletolu Vero, NYK Coordinator and who is also a United Nations Volunteers actively participated in the meeting and provided number of insights on her previous experiences on actively coordinating and mobilizing the youth and the lessons from that which could be used to adopt the education and youth development to the cultural context of Nagaland.
10 youth volunteers who were attached to the Office of Deputy Commissioner to assist Administration in data collection, IT cell support, awareness generation, dissemination of information and leadership building among youths provided their own perspective of educational development and realities that they have faced while growing up as a student and graduates.
To address the problem of no network connectivity in most of the Villages of the District, the Development Promoter proposed for a campaign for mobilization of community participation through good will donation of Smart TVs and Laptops for Villages that are cut off from Data Connectivity and are not in a position to garner the benefits of Online education.
The forum resolved to come up with an Education Vision Document 2030 for the district keeping in the evolving perspectives of New Education Policy. The final draft document is expected to be ready by September end and to be available for comments from public and experts from the field of education.
(K.K. Chim, IA Noklak)
