Kohima, September 2: The Nagaland government has expressed concern over the shortage of teachers in government schools and the uneven distribution of educators and students across various districts. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Education Minister Temjen Imna Along emphasized the need to reorganize schools based on actual enrollment figures and to redeploy teachers accordingly.
In response to a question raised by MLA A. Nyamnyu Konyak in the Nagaland Assembly, Chief Minister Rio provided insights into the current situation. Konyak had requested district-wise information regarding teacher vacancies in higher secondary, high, middle, and primary schools.
Chief Minister Rio revealed that the student-teacher ratio in Nagaland is approximately 7:1, significantly lower than the national average of around 24:1. This indicates that the number of students per teacher in the state is considerably less than the national norm. He noted that this high ratio is not solely due to an excess of teachers but also because schools were established or upgraded based on population estimates and subsequent needs.
Highlighting the seriousness of the issue, Chief Minister Rio stated that the government and relevant departments are reviewing the situation. He pointed out that the unusually low student-teacher ratio is partially linked to population estimates derived from the 2001 census data.
Rio explained that after the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) framework, population data was utilized to establish and upgrade schools in various areas. He acknowledged concerns regarding the accuracy of the 2001 census data, despite significant expansion of schools in Nagaland.
He urged that the decline in the number of schools should not be viewed solely as a lack of educational infrastructure. In some instances, schools have very few or no students despite having teachers. He suggested that schools, particularly in the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization (ENPO) region and Mon district, should be reevaluated based on student availability, accessibility, and local needs.
The Chief Minister mentioned that schools with fewer than ten students, especially those near other schools, could be merged. He emphasized that such measures should consider the educational needs and accessibility of remote and underdeveloped areas.
Konyak expressed satisfaction with the responses from the Chief Minister and Education Minister. However, he raised concerns about vacancies in Middle English (ME) and Lower Primary (LP) schools. He noted that retirements have led to a shortage of teachers in primary and middle schools, and the recruitment of new teachers has not kept pace. While graduate and postgraduate teacher recruitment occurs through the Nagaland Public Service Commission, he requested clarification on when interviews for ME and LP teachers would take place.
Konyak also voiced concerns about the reduction in the number of schools, which has decreased from 1,939 to 1,881. He stressed that schools in backward areas should be treated differently, taking into account educational and economic conditions, communication challenges, and the availability of institutions.
He warned that further merging of schools could adversely affect educationally backward areas. He called for a specialized approach to properly organize schools in remote regions.
In response to these concerns, Education Minister Imna Along stated that teacher deployment is based on the needs of individual schools rather than a fixed district-wise quota. He explained that the department assesses the requirements of government primary schools (GPS), government middle schools (GMS), government high schools (GHS), and government higher secondary schools.
Along noted that some areas have very few students but a high number of teachers, while others face shortages. In cases where schools have no students, the department can merge them with nearby schools and redeploy teachers to institutions with student populations.
He clarified that this initiative is not targeting any specific district, tribe, or community but is based on actual educational needs. The minister reiterated that Nagaland’s student-teacher ratio of 7:1 is significantly lower than the national ratio of 24:1, aligning with the benchmarks set by the National Education Policy 2020.
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