Nagas are known in history as one of the bravest and the toughest of warriors. Inheriting a head hunter gene, we have demonstrated our bravery even in the Kargil War. The Naga Regiment was the first one to be inducted into Operation Vijay in the Drass Sector on 11 May 1999. During this operation, the battalion captured Black Rock, Thums Up, Pyramid Pimple Hill (later renamed as Naga Hill) and Point 5060. So this ‘bravery’ thing is well instilled in the minds of every Naga which is well demonstrated again in the digital world today in social media where every citizen has become a FACEBOOK WARRIOR commenting and updating deadly statuses, more deadly than sword of Leonidas.But when we Nagas talk about subjects related to Mathematics or Science, this so called bravery betrays us so mercilessly that we often find kids hiding under the thick mekalas of their mothers because dad would soon whip them up from head to toe because they had over confidently faired extremely poor in their mathematics and science papers. Well, this was and this is the reality of our society. Firstly, math & science phobia is incredibly common, even among well educated people. Even basic mathematics can generate a lot of anxiety and visceral dislike.
So why is there so much fear among the Brave Nagas? We are talented people and are capable of doing really well in these subjects but why do we shy away from these subjects? Based on a data base that I had collected from the NBSE Gazette 2011- 2015, the average number of students enrolling in Arts, Science and Commerce are 73%, 18% and 9% respectively. This I feel is a very disturbing figure. In my perspective choosing a science stream will give you a good job and there are countless opportunities. I am not saying that studying Arts will land you jobless, but science jobs are given more preference in this scientifically and digitally advanced world. And Commerce also opens up many career avenues. Globalization, foreign insurance and foreign banks has created enormous job opportunities for commerce students. Chartered Accountant (CA) is still a coveted career (Just recently, Miss. Tianola daughter of Shri. Ayangba Aonok has cleared the Chartered Accountant examination from the Indian Institute of Chartered Accountant). On successful completion of B Com, students get jobs relating business and finance. 50,000 unemployed youths in our State is a nightmare figure which will hamper our society in the next 10-15 years from now. I do not wish to point to this-Arts, science lopsidedness as the main reason why there is so much of unemployment in our land but this might just be another factor.
The world is moving so fast and Modi is taking India along with it. With his famous flagship programmes like the MAKE IN INDIA, SMART CITY and DIGITAL INDIA which are expected to create 100 Million jobs in the next few years. Quite recently Kohima has made it into the list of 100 Smart Cities which will receive Rs.500 Cr and hopefully it should transform the existing infrastructures and urbanship into an engine of GROWTH thereby creating tons of jobs which will modernise and improve the standard of living. Well, basically that is the concept. The question is whether we Naga youths will earn ourselves some decent jobs or end up as sweepers in the SMART BUILIDNGS. (I believe in Dignity of Labour and every job is respectable but we are talking about the reality here).
So how can we make ourselves competent enough to avail these opportunities? This leads us to the SINGLE MOST important area – PRIMARY EDUCATION!! The present system is not working in favour of us which is clearly depicted in the chart given below. Primary education is the basic and foremost right of every child. The problem with Nagas facing problems with maths and science is all attributed to the fact that primary education was not given much importance either in the past or even today both by parents as well the educational institutions. Just imagine, in a class room of 80-90 students (private schools), how can anyone expect the students to learn where there is no teacher- student interaction. Education needs a good foundation and without a proper foundation the community consuming this out-dated product will not progress. This is not the sole problem. Societal Attitude needs to change as well. People think that the so called TOP STUDENTS only deserve science and commerce stream and arts people are dumb. This is so lame. Any field is equally challenging if we devote to it completely. The problem is that NAGA parents and “aunts” & “uncles” –are the source of this crap. They make the oft-quoted statement like “Science is very difficult”. Also we tend to look down at PRIMARY TEACHERS as JUST PRIMARY TEACHERS. We really need to change on this perspective. In Finland, Singapore, South Korea, Shanghai, teacher position is the most sought after job after doctors and engineers. It has always been popular and it attracts a lot of top performing students into this area and as a result they are among the best performing countries in the world in the field of education. India miserably landed at the top 2 position from the LAST at the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2012. Comparing the scores, experts estimate that an Indian eighth grader is at the level of a South Korean third grader in math abilities or a second-year student from Shanghai when it comes to reading skills.
It is high time for Nagaland and India to make schools fun. When school is fun we will not hear kids say in the morning, “Why do I have to school again?” These days tons of animation and study related videos are available on the internet on subjects like science which will enrich the student’s conceptual clarity. So given the proper infrastructure, teachers can incorporate these tools to maximize their teaching performance and reach out to EVERY SINGLE STUDENT in the class. Mathematics as a subject is indispensable in the development of any nation with respect to science and technology since mathematics itself is the language of science. For this we need MATHEMATICS LABORATORIES in our schools and educational institutions. As defined by Adenegan (2003), the mathematics laboratory is a unique room or place, with relevant and up-to-date equipment known as instructional materials designated for the teaching and learning of mathematics. India needs to invest more on primary education so as to increase the pay-scale of the teachers and also to set up Smart School Infrastructures.
We should embrace technology because it makes kids more engaged and I believe when kids are engaged, when kids are interested, that is where LEARNING takes place.
Atoba A Longkumer
Mokokchung.
