Ao CSOs such as – Ao Senden, Watsü Mungdang, Ao Students’ Conference (AKM), and Ao Riju (Ao Academy)- have jointly appealed on the Nagaland state government to address pressing issues in the education sector within Mokokchung district.
According to a representation addressed to Advisor for School Education and SCERT, president Ao Senden Marsanen Imsong, president Watsü Mungdang S. Arenla Longkumer, general secretary AKM Satemmongba, and chairman Ao Riju Prof. Dr. M. Rongsen Lkr, highlighted the acute shortage of qualified language teachers in government schools, which they said hampered effective learning.
They said the government’s practice of assigning any teacher fluent in the mother tongue to teach language subjects is inadequate. They noted that many such teachers lack formal training and have not passed language proficiency exams conducted by tribal literature boards, leading to confusion in grammar and spelling systems essential for mastering the vernacular.
Further the CSOs criticized the inclusion of Alternative English as a Modern Indian Language (MIL) subject, since it discourages students from studying their mother tongue. Citing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which recommends mother tongue instruction up to Grade 5 (preferably until Grade 8), they urged the government to eliminate Alternative English as an MIL option and appoint specialized language teachers to improve vernacular language education.
The Ao CSOs also touched on the issue of unemployment among trained and educated youths in the district. They suggested that teachers who are untrained or dealing with health challenges should be considered for early retirement, creating vacancies for trained educators in government schools.
Furthermore, the CSOs expressed concern about the lack of higher secondary education facilities, pointing out that Mokokchung district has only five Government Higher Secondary Schools (GHSS), insufficient to meet the needs of matriculating students. Despite numerous schools being upgraded statewide, Mokokchung has not seen any new GHSS since 2011, underscoring the district’s unmet demand they noted.
The CSOs said during recent visits to government schools in the district, AKM found various deficiencies, including shortages of subject-specific teachers, outdated infrastructure, and lack of classroom space.
The joint representation emphasized that without immediate government intervention in infrastructure and teacher recruitment, the quality of education in Mokokchung would continue to suffer, impacting future generations’ prospects.