The felicitation of awardees for Nagaland Government School Students’ Meritorious Award was held on June 13 at the Morung Conference Hall, Directorate of School Education.
In his address, Advisor for School Education & SCERT, Dr. Kekhrielhoulie Yhome stated that although the Board was instituted along with the state, many people have passed out under the current Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE).
The Advisor added that across India, there is trust in NBSE, and through this board, many children have become successful in various walks of life.
“When matriculation and Higher Secondary results are declared, we teachers especially hang our heads in shame because we get to hear of nil results. But there is no need to be ashamed,” he stated. He also pointed out that many private schools conduct their own selection process and issue Pass Transfer Certificates, which leads to many of those students later joining government schools.
Speaking on the responsibility of providing education, he said, “It is the job of the department to provide education to all. It is our duty to take everyone irrespective of tribe or family background, and our teachers are all well-trained,” he added.
Furthermore, Yhome, while speaking on the pattern of results, congratulated everyone and stated that government schools are doing quite well, even if not in direct competition with private schools. Highlighting the matriculation results, he noted that out of 21,996 students who appeared in Class 10, 5,716 were from government institutions, which accounts for roughly 26%. The overall pass percentage in government schools was 48.41%, while private schools had 87.64%—a huge margin of difference.
Highlighting the Class 12 Arts stream results, he mentioned that the pass percentage among government school students was 80%, while it was 88% in private schools. In the commerce stream, there was a 100% pass rate.
Yhome stated that the overall pass percentage in government schools stood at 78%, compared to 84% in private schools. In the science stream, government schools achieved a 72% pass rate, while private schools had 78%—indicating no significant difference.
On the issue of dropout rates in Nagaland, Yhome said that the situation could be improved through collaboration with the Nagaland Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board and the Directorate of Youth Resources and Sports to generate and analyze relevant data. He also emphasized that children who are unable to pass matric exams should be directed toward vocational education.
Encouraging government school students to face the future with confidence, Yhome urged them to work hard. He stated that government school teachers are better trained, and although many students come from challenging backgrounds, they have the potential to succeed.
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On addressing these challenges, Yhome informed that the department has been holding discussions and has realized that running a school today requires a corporatized approach. He added that headmasters and principals should lead their schools with the vigor and energy of a CEO.
Touching upon the importance of skill development, he said leadership training programs would be introduced soon, and efforts would be made to personalize relationships between schools and students. He also praised the collaboration between SCERT Nagaland and Azim Premji University, especially their contributions in early childhood care and education.
“Success and change will come to us, but we need to go down to the elementary and primary level. That is when we will see real transformation,” he added.
Speaking on challenges related to technology and infrastructure, Yhome stated that the department is utilizing the best resources available to improve the situation. He also lamented that government school children are often made to feel inferior to others, which, he stressed, is not true.
Talking about putting more efficient systems in place, Yhome said that government school teachers are among the best, and that principals, headmasters, and school heads are giving their best efforts. He informed that based on departmental discussions, an announcement will be made soon outlining an aspiration to bring back 1 lakh students into government schools by 2030.
During the felicitation program, Shashank Pratap Singh, IAS, gave the opening remarks, while Principal Director Kevileno Angami, Commissioner & Secretary, School Education & SCERT, delivered the congratulatory message. Government High School, Bayavü and Rüzhükhrie Government Higher Secondary School, Kohima presented special musical performances. The program also featured experience-sharing by some of the meritorious students.
