Nagaland government schools set for quality overhaul; 4 programmes launched

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 23 (EMN): In what may help solve several issues, including proxy teaching in government institutions that has been hampering the delivery of quality education, the department of School Education has taken a major leap by launching four programmes at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat conference hall in Kohima on Wednesday.

Principal Secretary of School Education Menukhol John launched the ‘Online Teacher’s Transfer Portal’; ‘Teacher’s App’, and ‘Child Protection Policy’; and mission director of Samagra Shiksha, Nagaland, Kevileno Angami launched the ‘Child Protection Policy and School Safety and Security Pledge and Guidelines’ on September 23.

Speaking at the programme, John said that the department of School Education ‘always had problems in terms of rationalising and deployment of teachers’. ‘As such, the department’s initiative of introducing an online portal for request of transfer will ensure fair judgment,’ he said.

He stated that many teachers try to seek transfers to urban areas and it ‘becomes hard for the department’. He added that the department tries to be transparent in terms of scrutinising the request in public domain.

He expressed hope that the portal will help the department to serve the people better in service delivery.

Meanwhile, the official also stated that the ‘Child Protection Policy,’ a collaboration of the department of School Education, Samagra Shiksha Nagaland and Childline- 1098, will be more active in tackling safety measures and ensure better and safer environment for the children.

John further stated that the department would also carry out sensitisation with the line department for ‘School Safety and Security Pledge and Guidelines’ and ensure that children are not adversely affected, while adding that the department will ‘keep on being innovative and marching ahead’.

The Principal Director of School Education, Shanavas C, gave a brief presentation of the ‘Online Teacher’s Transfer Portal’ and stated that the transfer and posting of teachers in schools is a regular practice being carried out by the department due to promotions and retirements every year, while some seek transfer on their own due to personal reasons.

He stated that the smooth functioning of schools and transfers need to be done ahead of the commencement of the academic year; as such, adopting a transparent process in this exercise would do justice to all stakeholders such as teachers, schools, and the department. He added that according to the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 (Policy No. 5.3), it is mandatory to carry out teacher’s transfers through an online computerised system to ensure transparency.

He pointed out the ‘proposed action plan’ of the Teachers’ Online Transfer Portal, stating that a separate portal will be made available for a specific period at the departmental website, which can be accessed by the teachers. They can log in using their registered mobile number and OTP obtained through it.

The portal will display their present employment details and cadre vacancy position available throughout the state. They can select two preferred posting places from the existing vacancy position.

A prescribed ‘forwarding letter’ format will be made available at the portal which is to be completed and signed by the school head, VEC Chairman and SDEO/DEO, he informed. The said officials will be required to mention whether they recommend the transfer sought by the teacher or not, along with comments and remarks.

Teachers seeking transfer need to upload a scanned copy of the forwarding letter and submit their application on the portal. An acknowledgement will be generated indicating successful submission of the application, after which the department will process all the applications received during the given period and issue bulk transfer orders.

Shanavas expressed hope that commissioning of the online transfer portal will ensure that the staff strength required for all the schools and expected vacancy positions are worked out well in advance, as the details will be made available in the public domain. This will also bring transparency in the functioning of the department and ensure that normal functioning of schools is not disturbed due to transfers in the middle of the academic year, he added.

He said the reopening of schools has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and stated that completing all transfer posting exercises before November 2020 will help schools in carrying out the teaching-learning process more effectively.

Meanwhile, the principal director said the Teacher’s App introduction of Teacher’s Diary was a ‘humble beginning towards bringing paradigm changes in the quality of education being imparted in government schools and the Teacher’s App is the next step in this direction’.

He stated that the present education system has made it mandatory for teachers to use online education tools for carrying out their day-to-day teaching-learning activities. He added that keeping teachers updated with the latest developments in the field of education is essential and the app will help them connect with the required online education resources with ease.
He stated that the Teacher’s Diary introduced by the department demands regular monitoring and supervision from the controlling officers at school and inspecting officers at district and directorate levels.

“Unfortunately, a section of teachers and school heads do not stay in their place of posting and this issue needs to be addressed by the use of technology,” the official stated.

The department also hopes that the app will address the issue effectively as teachers will have to upload pages of Teacher’s Diary where school heads append their signatures with a date while the uploaded pages will carry GPS Tracking (showing date, time and location) of the Teacher’s Diary and automatically forward to the district level officers and the directorate.

He maintained that the Teacher’s app will serve as a direct communication channel between the directorate, district level officers and teachers. It will reduce the gap between the authorities and teachers on one hand and will improve work culture among teachers and officers on the other hand.

Shanavas further informed that all employees under the department of School Education will gradually be brought under the ambit of monitoring through the Teacher’s app and this will eventually lead to the change of face of the department of School Education in Nagaland.

Meanwhile the state mission director of Samagra Shiksha, Nagaland, Kevileno expressed hope that the ‘Child Protection Policy and School Safety and Security Pledge and Guidelines’ will come in ‘handy and useful’ for the welfare and protection of children across the state and the people in general.

The coordinator of Childline 1098, Neingutonuo, also extended gratitude to the department of School Education for taking keen and proactive initiative in materialising the ‘Child Protection Policy’ that was launched on Wednesday.