Nagaland education system becoming too bureaucratic, says Dr. Zavise Rume

KOHIMA – The education system in Nagaland has become too bureaucratic and administrative which is unhealthy and it suffers from the basic foundation, said president Nagaland Education Association, Dr. Zavise Rume on Saturday.

He was delivering the keynote address at a panel discussion on the ‘Vision of National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) in Nagaland’, which was organised by the Nagaland Education Association at the Directorate of School Education in Kohima, with an aim to gain a deeper understanding of the ambitious policy.

He said the NEP is far-sighted with an objective to transform the Indian education system, and a response to people’s demand for a skill-oriented and job-oriented education to enable children to be skilful and practical.

Maintaining that the education system in Nagaland lacks basic foundation, Rume said educationists and academicians in the state can deliberate on how radical changes can be brought not only in education but also in terms of skilling, profession and vocational training in order to produce a skilled workforce.

He also suggested if Naga indigenous knowledge can be integrated into modern education and use the NEP for (preserving) Naga ethos and culture.

Deputy Director of School Education, Dr. Medongoi Rhakho, pointed out that the present education system has winners and losers, which is a war language, while the NEP 2020 envisions everyone to be winners.

Nagaland education system over-emphasises on general education and neglect professional aspect, which in turn ends up producing thousands of job seekers and not job creators. The conventional education system has resulted in people learning and talking about historical and political rights with over 90% of the economy depending on others, he told the gathering.

Rhakho said the NEP 2020 talks about four pillars of learning — to know, to do, to live and to leave.

The four vertical bodies, he said are, a single regulatory body, an academic standard body, funding and accreditation. Nagaland is not qualified to avail the funds as per the criteria required in NEP 2020, he added.

On implementation of the NEP, he said there are various stages and the Central Advisory Board will look into each state and bring out the feasibility.

Any tribal language should be encouraged as a subject, but as per the NEP 2020, it also should be used as a medium of instruction, which is almost impossible because of the diverse languages spoken in Nagaland, he pointed.

Associate Professor, Department of Education, Nagaland University, Dr. Khotole Khieya said the NEP is trying to revamp the whole system of education in the country, reduce rote learning and aims at critical thinking.

The policy looks “so colourful” but at the same time, it is going to be a huge challenge to implement it in the state, she pointed out.

Some of the major challenges in the policy that need to be discussed include changes in the structure of education right from the lower standard to university, digital initiatives, choice of language and multi-disciplinary education, she pointed out, adding that the single regulatory authority once implemented will absorb the independent and autonomous bodies.

Dr. Bendangyapangla, Associate Professor, State College of Teacher Education, Kohima, underscored the possibilities of the policy in the context of Nagaland.

Maintaining that teachers are at the centre of all fundamental reforms in the NEP 2020, she emphasised on training and empowering them. There is a need to invest in teachers and be more professional in training them, she said while urging various departments to coordinate in order to realise what is best for the state.