‘State education department entering into miserable failure’

Kohima, April 12 (EMN): Minister of School Education and SCERT, Yitachu has implored the stakeholders of education department to take the system seriously and take corrective measures before it is too late.
Speaking at the one-day conference-cum-interactive session for the DEO/Dy DEO/SDEO/JEO/Dy Directors/Asst Directors today at Capital Convention Centre, Kohima, Yitachu urged the middle level officers to not neglect the education system.
“If we fail on our part to take the education system seriously, then we will fail only to ourselves,” he said adding that “the education department in the state is entering into a miserable failure.”
Citing statistics of government schools across the country, he said that Nagaland has the highest student enrolment in private schools as compared to government schools. He added that the state also has the least teacher-student ratio in government schools and the highest drop-out rates in the country, adding that this reflects that something is wrong with the government schools in the state.
Out of 49,480 who have registered for Class 2, only 36,000 could reach Class IX, while 22,214 registered for Class X. A total of, 752 could register for Class XII.
Going by the figures, 13,480 students dropped before reaching Class IX, 13786 students were dropped from Class IX. The drop-out rates between Class X and Class XII was 6,462 students.
“We have to do away with the mindset and mentality that schools are opened to provide employment,” he shared. The minister also pointed out the practice of manipulation in appointing math and science teachers in government middle schools and high schools.
To this, he questioned as to why and how art teachers had to be appointed in place of math and science teachers to teach the two subjects.
“By appointing art teachers to teach math and science at schools, we have planted a destructive mechanism,” he said, and urged the field officers to take corrective measures at their own level.
“As for this problem, let us not hand over the responsibility the responsibility to the next batch of officers,” he said and expressed hope that the issue on math and science would be solved in four or five year’s time.
The minister further said that the department is working to bring down 115 DDOs in the department stating that the functioning is becoming “very difficult for accounting and transaction of funds.”
“Owing to the huge number of DDOs, the mechanism has become too difficult to check all the DDO which leads to huge loss in financing and accounting of the department,” he said adding that it also leads to bogus appointment.
“Yet, fictitious government employees draw salaries. The government had extended maximum leniency, however, this has to be stopped,” he said. The minister also asked the officers to deliver their best in implementing the mid-day meal scheme in the state.
Earlier, the additional director of the department (HOD) Wonthungoe Tsopoe, while regretting that the department, at present, is in its lowest ebb in all the aspects, encouraged the field officers to render their best effort to uplift the department from its present stature.
Solo warns of penalty for false data
Principal Secretary of School Education department, FP Solo has directed the officers of the concerned department to give accurate data and figures while presenting their reports to the directorate.
Lamenting that there had been cases where a handful of field officers submitted false data and figures, Solo warned that action would be taken against those officers who furnishes false information about the department.
“In the past, the state government including our department used to project inflated figures and data so as to get maximum benefits from different schemes of the central government. But under the leadership of the present minister of SE, we have decided to clean up the inflated data,” Solo said maintaining that “the enrolment figures in government schools have fallen drastically in 2015 and 2016 as a result of this decision.”
“The DEOs, Dy DEOs and SDEOs were asked to come up with accurate data and figures. But the latest UDISE data reflects something different. And it appears that some some DEOs, DDEOs and SDEOs were not truthful enough in the rationalization exercise,” he remarked.
To this, he informed that the department will be collecting data from various sources including GIS mapping. “We cannot keep on fooling ourselves and others. We should come out clean. The truth will ultimately prevail,” he said and pleaded the officers “to be more honest in the collection and projection of data.”
Solo while making his observation known that there is a very weak linkage of communication and dialogue between officers of the directorate and field officers, sought for better coordination and interaction between the directorate and field officers.
“We will have to revisit the inspection system and ensure that every office including the directorate and schools are inspected at least once a year. Every office and school should be inspected periodically,” he said maintaining that this will help improve the many growing irregularities of the department.
Addressing a host of middle level officers of the department, he further made his observation known that many of them are not sincere and serious enough in implementing the policies, programmes, rules and regulations of the government.
“As officers, you must lead your subordinates and not be lead by them. It’s also unfortunate that many officers don’t try to learn the office rules and procedures. They tend to depend heavily on the subordinates staffs. You can contribute only when you know your job well,” he said and urged the officers to render their best effort to strengthen and improve the education system.