Acknowledging the role of teachers in moulding an individual’s life from primary school to university level, adviser School Education, K.T. Sukhalu remarked that teachers have the power to make or break lives with the power of their influence.
Addressing the State Level Teachers’ Day celebration at NBCC convention hall here on Wednesday, Sukhalu congratulated the teachers who were awarded for their sincerity and dedication, even as he urged them to be sincere and diligent in their duties wherever they were posted.
Asserting that education needed to keep pace with the fast-changing world, he asked the teachers to update their skills and stressed the need to reorient and change their teaching method to inspire students to learn and perform well.
Sukhalu said book teaching was central to the educational system and that digital literacy could not be ignored, while urging the teachers to upgrade their ITC skills.
Dwelling on poor performance of some schools, Sukhalu regretted the poor performance in Maths and Science that was very much below the national average.
Quoting Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), 2017, Sukhalu said only 30.4% of students in the age group of 14-18 years in Nagaland could do simple division as against the national average of 43.1%, while only 37.7% could calculation and evaluation in comparison to the national average of 50%.
He recalled his interactions with schools that revealed that teachers in high schools struggle with teaching their students since most students had a weak elementary base. “This gives Nagaland the dubious distinction of having a weak academic base, which we must change,” he stressed.
The adviser commented that the formative years of 6-8 years in an individual’s life needed to be supported by stimulating him or her and providing proper environment to enable the child’s brain to develop to its fullest potential.
He admitted that many areas in school education sector like infrastructure or human resource development needed to be addressed, but added that the schools’ poor performance was not encouraging.
Recalling his childhood as a student where his teacher gave him special attention in the subject he was weak, Sukhalu said it was a teacher’s job to help a pupil understand what was in the textbook and why it was important to study.
He said subjects that were taught in schools were the foundation on which the students would build their world view and pursue their career and life choices accordingly. The adviser also urged the teachers not to shame the students who gave wrong answers, but appreciate their courage in answering out loud and encouraging them to speak out and question their doubts.
He informed the gathering that he had proposed posting of headmasters, assistant headmasters and subject teachers, especially for Maths and Science, in all government high schools (GHS) and government higher secondary school (GHSS) to ensure that the students did not suffer for want of subject teachers and were well prepared for their exams. He clarified that the delay in carrying out the exercise was due to the court case by teachers on seniority issue. He nevertheless asked the teachers whether they could take a pledge that all GHSs and GHSSs would not repeat nil results in 2019.
Mentioning that it was very unfortunate that certain section of teachers resorted to ultimatums and agitations to press for their demands, Sukhalu said, being a democratic country, no one could be forced to work against his or her wishes.
Pointing out that every job in both government and private sectors had terms and conditions and that individuals seeking jobs were aware of the nature of employment before applying for the jobs, he said, if anyone was not satisfied with the terms of their service, he or she should not continue in service and could tender resignation.
Sukhalu said he was aware of many sincere teachers serving in remote areas and who were doing a commendable job. He described them as “unsung heroes”, even as he asked those who had joined the teaching profession without any passion for teaching to seriously introspect on their commitment as a teacher.
He also reminded all the teachers to submit their Aadhaar numbers to the department without further delay as the department would introduce Aadhaar-linked biometric system to check attendance of teachers in schools very soon. He further asked all teachers attached to various offices to resume their duties by joining their assigned schools without further delay.
Meanwhile, Takurenla of GMS Tuli, Narotola Imchen of Little Flower School, Kohima, Roseline Komuha of St Mary’s Cathedral HSS, Kohima, Loreni Ngullie of GMS, Wokha Towan Sector -A, Sheela Thapa of Sacred Heart School, Mon, Mesehol Kweho of GHS Kigwema, Kohima, P Athisiva Krishnan of St Paul HSS, Dimapur, Petekhrie-o Sekhose of GHSS, Peren, Niekhochi Venuh of GHS Phek, Debasis Mahata of GHS, Yangphi Kiphiri, Santosh Kumar Tiwari of El Beth School, Kiphiri, Mahadeb Mahapatra of GHS, Yachem Longleng, Subhash Kumar of GHS Kuthur, H Hamloi Konyak of GHSS, Mon and VP Ghuvishe Zhimomi of GHSS, Satakha received the State Teachers’ Awards, 2018.
Earlier, principal secretary, School Education, Menukhol John delivered the welcome address. The programme was marked by songs and a choreographed tribute to Dr S Radhakhrisnan.
Advisers Dr Nicky Kire, Namri Nchang, retired officials of school education department, officials from SCERT, NBSE and others attended the programme.