Catholic schools play significant role in educational progress — NCD President

‘We follow the crowd, we join the flow, and we prefer to flow along with the current, not against the current’

Our Reporter
Dimapur, June 9 (EMN): President of Naga Council Dimapur (NCD), Etsungmomo Kikon, on Thursday lauded the Commission for Education Diocese of Kohima (CEDOK) for playing a significant role in the educational progress of the state, reaching out even to the remotest and inaccessible areas.

He said that the commission has invested considerable human and material resources in education to run the best educational institutions in the state with inclusive policies in the intake of pupils from all sections of society.

‘It is very impressive to observe that the Catholic church does not confine her pastoral mission to prayers, gospel services and sacramental acts but also aims for development and growth of the wholeness of a person physically, mentally and spiritually, which can only be accomplished through discipline and valued education,’ he stated.

Etsungmomo was speaking at a felicitation-cum-award function at Holy Cross Auditorium Hall in Dimapur, organised by CEDOK for the rank holders and subject toppers from Catholic schools and institutions that recorded 100% result in this year’s High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) and Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) exams.

Further, he suggested that in order to catch up with the digital world, CEDOK needs to move forward from traditional methods of imparting education to new realities of education system, which are more robust and vibrant as per the requirements of the 21st century.

To the toppers, he asked them to be an inspiration to all the other students, especially those who will be appearing for the same in the coming year.

[Also read: Meet the toppers of HSLC, HSSLC exams]

‘Learn the art of finishing well’

Chumchanbeni Kikon, Director of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), while congratulating the successful candidates, shared that success is not achieved overnight but it commands a lot of hard work and persistence. She, thus, encouraged the students to continue working hard with determination and cultivate a healthy mind as they take on new learning opportunities and challenges.

‘You have picked up the art of performing well, and therefore continue to pick up and complete it well; you must learn the art of finishing well’, she advised.

Meanwhile, Bishop of Kohima Diocese James Thoppil, who is also the chairman of CEDOK, shared that there were hundreds of students who had passed out with honours and distinction from Catholic and other Christian schools, and occupying responsible positions in the government and civil society.

While maintaining that people have fed the intellect with knowledge, developed the mind and bodies, he questioned if the social and moral conscience had been fed with equal input.

He opined that social or moral conscience had been left untouched and “we do not feel any guilt or prick of conscience when we see injustice done and perpetuated”.

“When corruption is rampant and Christian values diminish, we do not feel disturbed. We follow the crowd, we join the flow, and we prefer to flow along with the current, not against the current,” he stated.

Thus, he challenged the students, the future leaders, to feed their souls and moral conscience with moral values of the gospel and live by what they were taught in the schools.

“Be an agent or catalyst of change and let us make our society a Christian society permeating with the values of the gospel,” he concluded.

90.68% pass percentage in HSLC

CEDOK Secretary Rev. Jacob Charalel informed that nine Catholic schools in HSLC and five in HSSLC recorded 100% pass percentage in the results declared by the Nagaland Board of Secondary Education recently.

He informed that Catholic schools in Nagaland achieved a total pass percentage of 90.68% in HSLC; 93.27% in HSSLC (Arts), 93.78% in Commerce and 94.14% in Science.

He shared that of the 17,891 regular students from 693 schools in the state who passed HSLC examination this year, 4,183 were from 59 Catholic schools, which is 23.38% of the total qualified candidates.

He went on to inform that out of the 9,940 students from 170 institutions who qualified for HSSLC (Arts), 2,218 were from 26 Catholic schools, which is 22.31% of the total; of the 835 students from 27 institutions qualified for HSLC (commerce), 226 were from five Catholic schools, comprising 27.1%; and of the 1,828 candidates from 41 institutions who qualified for HSSLC (Science), 514 were from nine Catholic schools, accounting for 28.12% of the state’s total.

A total of 20 HSLC toppers from Catholic schools, 17 HSSLC toppers, 36 subject toppers, and 14 schools with 100% result were awarded for their meritorious achievement during the programme.