The Ao frontal organisations comprising of the Ao Senden, Watsü Mungdang, Ao Students’ Conference (AKM) and Ao Riju (Ao Academy) have suggested compulsory retirement for teachers who are untrained or facing health issues so that the trained and educated unemployed youth can be accommodated in Government schools.
In a Joint Representation to the Advisor, School Education & SCERT, the organisations expressed concerns over the lack of opportunities for employment in the teaching profession for trained an educated youth which is depriving them of their rightful livelihoods and contributes to widening the gap of inequality. They therefore advised the early retirement of teachers who are untrained or facing health issues.
The organisations also pointed out that the “policy of engaging any teacher acquainted with the mother tongue to teach that particular subject is detrimental to the Teaching-Learning process.” They stated that such teachers selected through this process have no professional training to teach the vernacular subject since they have not undergone the Language Proficiency Examination conducted by tribal Literature Boards. This creates a lot of confusion in the spelling system as well as in the Grammar and Composition of the mother tongue since these are very technical areas and cannot be taught simply because of being able to speak the Language, the frontal organisations added.
The Representation further urged the Advisor to consider removing Alternative English as an MIL subject so as to adhere to the policies outlined in NEP 2020 as well as for the promotion and development of the Vernacular language. “… offering Alternative English as an MIL subject deters the students from opting for their mother tongue as an MIL subject, which in the long run, affects the Vernacular Language acquisition of the child.
Furthermore, the Ao frontal organisations highlighted that there are 35 (thirty-five) Government run high schools under Mokokchung district and only 5 (five) higher secondary schools which is not sufficient to accommodate the passed out students after their matriculation. They said that not a single GHS was upgraded to GHSS since 2011 which has compelled many students to move to other places for higher studies causing financial constraints to parents as well as the students’ community.
It was also highlighted that the Ao Kaketshir Mungdang (Ao Students’ Conference) has visited 58 schools in the district out of the total 198 schools as part of its initiative to assess the adherence to academic standards and gather the insights for enhancing the appointment of teachers, enrollment of students and their learning environment. It was informed that the visitation focused on diverse schools, providing a glimpse of the conditions of the existing schools.
The following schools are in urgent need of immediate attention where there are schools with shortage of teachers, schools with no particular subject teacher and schools in need of new infrastructure, office and classrooms.
Shortage Of Teachers:
Schools in need of new infrastructure for office and classrooms:
