S Bendang Aier, Y Nchumbemo Jami, N Nzanbemo Ngullie, Kevizeno Savino and Yahuto Kath received the National Award for Innovations and Good Practices in Educational Administration (2020-21 & 2021-22) from Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan at New Delhi on 5th December 2023. The awardees are all retired employees of the Department of Education, Government of Nagaland.

The National Award for Innovations & Good Practices in Educational Administration for district- and block-level education officers was instituted by the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) in 2014 to encourage innovations and good practices in educational administration at the grass-root level for improving the functioning of the public system of education. The overall aim is to create a culture and ecosystem of innovations and good practices in educational administration at the field level of educational administration.

On 5th December, the Union Minister conferred certificate of appreciation to 65 outstanding district and block education officers from across the country.

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S Bendang Aier received the award for “Holistic Development of Students” when he was serving as Assistant District Education Officer, Mon District, Nagaland. Aier retired from government service as Assistant District Education Officer, Mokokchung.

Innovations & Impact

• For developing Infrastructure, and improvement in Quality of Education
• The educational developments with respect to Class IX in the school have become constant within 2-3 years which resulted in producing many school dropouts.
• Measures have taken up by DEO, the Village Council as well as the Citizens Forum of the village and it was decided to open a Hostel where all the students of class IX & X should compulsorily stay.
• The village council together with the community constructed two Hostel Buildings (one for Boys and one for Girls) with one common kitchen.
• Parent-teachers meeting was made a regular feature at school which gradually brought the parents as well as the community closer to the school.
• Various issues like teacher and student attendance, classroom teaching learning process, general discipline and health, conduct of class tests, assignments and project works, and day to day evaluation of teachers and students’ performance were some of the vital tasks managed by DEO.
• Initiatives adopted through various challenges brought phenomenal impact in the results of HSLC examinee, and infrastructural setups have been achieved majorly with the help of community & other prominent stakeholders.

Y Nchumbemo Jami was conferred the award for “Viewing Education Administration through New Lens” during his time as Sub Divisional Education Officer, Tizit, Mon District, Nagaland. Jami retired from government service as District Education Officer, Mon.

Innovations & Impact

• For improving system and school management, and enhancing teaching and learning management
• In the initial phase, the officials were assigned with the task to monitor the process of coordination related to the project planning with the local community & the respective departments.
• In the second phase visit, another meeting was held & it has been updated that the local area people resolved the issue related to the repairing of the benches and desks with the performance incentive grants sanctioned under NECTAR project.
• In this way the department of school education is enhancing community accountability & ownership.
• It also emphasizes that effective stakeholder engagement can significantly improve the environmental & social sustainability of projects, enhance project acceptance & make a significant contribution to successful project implementation.

 N Nzanbemo Ngullie was presented the National Award for Innovations & Good Practices in Educational Administration for “Transforming Challenges into Opportunities” when he was the Sub Divisional Education Officer, Dimapur District, Nagaland. Ngullie retired from government service as District Education Officer, Wokha.

Innovations and Impact

• For providing a conducive environment for imparting a quality education, and introducing Vocational Education among the school main curriculum
• SDEO initiated various activities and motivated both the students and teachers to inculcate the skill education with games and sports, gardening, handicrafts and also rejuvenate the non or under – performing schools to the level of performing.
• The primary target of the SDEO was to address the process of sanitation and hygiene, in all the schools within the sub-division.
• Many local & self-based efforts were also being carried out to improve the quality of imparting education. The initiatives adopted during the pandemic period brought necessary changes among the students, as they got involved in many skill based interesting things like handicrafts, games etc.

Kevizeno Savino was awarded for “A Way towards Re-figuring the Schools” when she served as District Education Officer, Kohima District, Nagaland. Savino retired from government service as DEO, Kohima.

Innovations and Impact

• Meeting was conducted with village leaders, parents were convened whereby villagers, teachers contributed cash, goods and labour and finally cemented floors and a temporary assembly hall was constructed.
• Every Wednesday assembly was conducted in their local dialect where local folk songs, folk tales and dances were taught by their local teachers.
• A club called “Happy Club” was formed to foster dignity of labour, discipline and to retain them in the school system as many of the students were found to be irregular and lacked discipline to some extent. Various activities like community service in the school, village during occasions were conducted and funds were raised. This helped the students to develop a sense of belonging, truthfulness, and team spirit.
• Through this innovation, the whole structural reform took place within the school framework. The post-pandemic status of the management reflects serious changes based on the initiatives taken by the concern authorities under the guidance of the respected education officer.

Yahuto Kath was honoured with the National Award for Innovations & Good Practices in Educational Administration for “Revising Performance Status of Schools: Way towards better Platform” while serving as Sub Divisional Education Officer, Tseminyu District, Nagaland. Kath retired from government service as District Education Officer, Longleng.

Innovations & Impact

• For elevating the status of school, and enhancement through Quality Education
• To address and mitigate those challenges, the SI of the school has taken serious measures like understanding the status of schools in rural areas.
• Along with, an interactive session with students & teachers to have a critical overview about the learning status of the children was conducted.
• The related issues like absentees of teachers and infrastructural developments were managed with help of local stakeholders and other senior government officials.
• The rigorous measures adopted to uplift the status of school reflect major achievements like the absentee’s rate of teachers has been reduced.

(Source: National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration)