Backdoor appointment accusation days are over in Nagaland, says Advisor for School Education

He says many parents had approached him for appointment of their children during the past four years

Our Correspondent
Kohima, March 2 (EMN): Advisor to School Education, K Tokugha Sukhalu on Wednesday said that the present government has brought about a lot of changes in recruitment policy, while revealing that parents do approach him for their children’s job.

He was speaking during the inauguration of the Government High School Sechü (Zubza) which was upgraded to Government Higher Secondary School.

‘Any qualified person who wishes to teach has to be sincere and appear for various examinations that will be conducted either by the NPSC, NSSB, or by the department. Opportunities are there for those who sincerely want to be in the service,’ he said.

“The governments of the past have been accused of backdoor appointments, but now, those days are over. Have a little faith in the government. I don’t think the government would like to hijack everything. Rather, it is here to serve and to do something for the people,” he added.

He further challenged those individuals attacking the department on media platforms to ‘come out with facts’.

He revealed that many parents had approached him for appointment (in government sector) of their sons and daughters during the past four years as Advisor to School Education. He added that it is “very rare” for qualified individuals to approach him

In regard to this, he wondered if qualified individuals were really not interested but their parents are, while requesting those parents to push their sons and daughters to write examinations.

The competition is very high and tough and one has to be the best among the best to get a job, he added.  

Sukhalu reiterated the serious problem of proxy teachers in Nagaland.

On various pressure groups asking the department to check the menace of proxy teachers, the advisor said that the government posts teachers to schools and leave it to the village authority and school management committee to ensure that teachers are in place and perform their duties.

He urged the villagers to be honest with their feedback and notify the department if there are proxy teachers in their respective villages so that the department can take action accordingly. In some places, it is the council members and villagers who are allowing proxy teachers, when the village leaders and parents should keep a check on these kinds of issues, he pointed out.

He urged the village authority and school management committees to strictly monitor and ensure that teachers do their job.

No resources for repairing school buildings

He also said that many school buildings are “very old” but could not be repaired due to limited resources as the state is totally depends on the Centre for grants.

But with the strong leadership in Delhi and with the rebounding of the economy, he expressed hope that ‘we will be able to address many issues regarding infrastructure’.

He informed that the department requires more teachers following the upgrading of about eight higher secondary schools. ‘But since the department cannot create any posts (due to excess teachers), it is moving a proposal to convert about 107 posts to post-graduate teachers, who will be recruited through NPSC. Once exams are conducted, the department will be able to post required teachers for the post-graduate classes of the eight upgraded schools,’ he said while adding that it might take some time.

He also said that there are nearly 2000 government schools in the state but the enrollment is poor.

Informing that lot of schools have been downgraded in Nagaland because of less number or no students at all, he appealed to the villagers to try to increase enrollment.

Regarding the construction of extra classrooms for the upgraded Government Higher Secondary School Sechü (Zubza), he said that the department is taking it up with the Centre under Samagra and it will be done within this year or early next year. At present, the school has a total of 97 students from classes 6 to 10.

MLA Keneizhakho Nakhro expressed hope that the upgraded institution would emerge as one of the best performing schools in Nagaland. He further appealed to the advisor and the department concerned to make the upgrading of schools a reality at the earliest possible time.