ANCSU recommends review of educational system in Nagaland

Seeks introduction of science & commerce streams in every district college

Principal Correspondent Kohima, April 19 The All Nagaland College Students' Union (ANCSU) having an objective to review the educational system and to promote and prepare students of the State towards global competitions has come forward with set of recommendations to improve the quality of education at higher secondary and degree levels. The recommendations have been made after ANCSU initiated its mission “Educational Tour” from August 20 to September 28, 2014 covering all the 56 colleges affiliated with it in the State, said ANCSU president Tsukjem Longkumer while interacting with a section of media persons here today. The documentary in book form entitled “ANCSU Education Tour 2014” brought out recently maintained that in the course of the touring, numerous collective suggestions and grievances were deliberated and documented from the lecturers and the students as an appeal to State Government, Nagaland University, Department of Higher Education, Technical Education, organizations, proprietors and head of all concern colleges to timely redressal. Expressing that serious threats pertaining to the impairment of the students -- educationally, technically, mentally and economically has been detected, ANCSU maintained that before looking into marking system of NU, syllabus should be reviewed starting from the grass-root level i.e. Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) in-order to ensure advantage to the students in Central level competitive exams and that Nagaland's educational board syllabus should be related to the Central board syllabus. The student body expressed that ‘vast topic syllabus contents’ should be reviewed by specialized subject lecturers while subject topic comparison be made and those with similar contents must be omitted particularly for the Honours subject. ANCSU maintained that syllabus must be restructured and reviewed periodically as per the conditions and nature of semester system, so as to let the students become productive. Syllabus in general and particular in commerce stream has to be checked and referred to with the NU website, so as not to confuse the students by altering the syllabus. ANCSU maintained that marking system should sincerely be maintained by evaluators so that performing students can achieve deserving marks. It also suggested that instead of only looking at the mistakes, marks should be allotted according to the good/positive points attempted by the students. It also asked that blue print answers should be printed separately for the evaluators, irrespective of long or short type answers. On the evaluation system, ANCSU suggested that local and experienced moderators should be put to evaluate papers at the final level, which may also result in better marking system. Orientation programmes should be organized by NBSE and NU for the Chief-Examiner, examiners and evaluators for a uniform marking system, it said. On appointment & recruitment of teaching staffs, ANCSU said that Assistant Professors in college/institutions should be according to the UGC norms wherein NET/SLET/SET should be the minimum eligibility. They said that having unqualified and semi-educated lecturers in various government colleges through backdoor appointments, contract basis and fixed pay, the state cannot expect quality education and quality students as an outcome. They said that as per the introduction of standardize Educational System, it requires adequate teaching staffs, but various government colleges running short of lecturers directly hampering the education system. Expressing that NU should declare results on time along with issuance of mark-sheets, ANCSU said due delay in issue of original mark-sheets and certificates, students are deprived of admissions or even to do with their jobs offered opportunities. Concerned that colleges were charging different fee structures, ANCSU demanded that NU should publish the admission fee structures and direct all the colleges (Government & Private) to maintain transparency. It also said that the amount of backlog fees per paper must be clearly mentioned. ANCSU suggested that library facilities should be upgraded in every colleges, inclusive of the basic study materials while latest edition of books and journals should be provided and that study materials of the new semester system should be made available in all the college libraries. ANCSU also opined that vocational courses should be introduced and implemented in every college to let the students gain the basis of ‘Dignity of Labour’ and become more productive and self-reliant. It also suggested that NU should effectively initiate and implement setting up of Academic Staff College for the teaching staffs for skill development and knowledge. ANCSU has asked the State Government and NU to provide transportation upto University Head Quarter in Lumami as presently there is not direct transportation to reach the Lumami campus. It has also requested the Government to immediately look into the deplorable road conditions leading to the colleges in the eastern parts of Nagaland. The college students body also maintained that Rastriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) funds should be properly utilized and distributed to all the colleges both government & private while RUSA guidelines should be followed sincerely so that its implementation in the state is not corrupted. Employment opportunities under RUSA and development activities should be made known to general public through print media advertisement to maintain transparency, ANCSU said. It opined that seminars on “Effectiveness of Semester System in imparting Quality Education” should be organized. ANCSU demanded that Science and Commerce streams should be introduced in every district colleges while NU should look into the setting up of science and commerce campus in the backward areas, especially in the eastern parts of Nagaland. ANCSU also asked for setting up of technical institutions for degree courses in the State while also appealing that the need of Medical colleges be seriously looked into by the government. “More campus of different streams under NU should be established to bring a ratio level, which will solve the problem in seeking admissions for students after post-graduation,” it said. ANCSU also suggested that NU, Department of HE and Department of TE should make conduct timely visit to colleges, so as to know the ground reality, which will result in the out-coming of a better and quality productive educational system as a whole. On land encroachment problems specially faced by Government colleges, ANCSU said the problems should be settled at the earliest for the smooth functioning and development of the education system. It cited that Khelhoshe Polytechnic Atoizu is supposed to have 5 hostels, but only 2 hostels have been set up, while 3 hostels are yet to be constructed due to the land problem. It also put forth land encroachment issue at Kohima Science College Jotsoma. Further, ANCSU opined that in order to improve the quality of education in the State, the government should effectively look into the enhancement of the budget allocation for educational investment for the concerned departments viz. higher education, school education, technical education.