The Kiphire District Administration and NagaEd have formally concluded the Learning Enhancement and Accessibility Project (LEAP), a three-year digital education initiative that benefited more than 1,200 students and 35 Mathematics and Science teachers across 15 schools in the district.

Implemented by NagaEd in partnership with the Kiphire District Administration under NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts Programme, the project aimed to address gaps in digital infrastructure, teacher capacity and access to quality learning resources.

Deputy Commissioner Kiphire, Temsuwati Longkumer said LEAP had strengthened digital infrastructure, enhanced teachers’ confidence and expanded learning opportunities across the district. He said the skills, resources and systems created through the partnership would continue to support schools even after the formal conclusion of the project.

By the end of LEAP, 96 per cent of participating teachers reported regularly using digital learning resources in their classrooms, while 91 per cent said the project had improved the overall quality of education in their schools. Teachers also reported significantly greater confidence in using digital tools, with an average self-rating of 8.3 out of 10.

Launched in June 2023, LEAP began after a baseline assessment involving 433 students and 75 teachers and school administrators highlighted significant challenges. More than half of the participating schools had no internet access, three-fourths of teachers had never received formal training in digital teaching, and only 15 per cent of students surveyed had previously used a personal digital device for learning.

Over the three-year period, all 15 participating schools, comprising nine government and six private schools, were equipped with classroom Smart TVs, connectivity solutions and access to NagaEd’s Digital Class platform. More than 1,400 curriculum-aligned Mathematics and Science resources for Classes 9 and 10 were developed, including instructional videos, interactive practice questions, presentations and assessments.

Teacher development remained a key component of the initiative, with more than 35 teachers receiving continuous professional development through classroom mentoring, refresher training, on-site coaching and ongoing support through a dedicated WhatsApp community.

The impact was particularly visible in classrooms. Mathematics teacher Daniel, Sechopi Sangtam of Government High School, Yangphi, said digital learning had transformed classrooms into more interactive spaces compared to traditional teaching methods.

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Recognising the challenges posed by Kiphire’s difficult terrain, unreliable connectivity and frequent power outages, LEAP also expanded offline learning support. While 78 per cent of teachers identified poor internet connectivity as a major challenge and 65 per cent reported frequent power outages, the project provided pen drives containing video lessons, presentations and practice materials, along with printed assessments.

With personal digital-device access among students remaining limited, the project increasingly relied on teacher-led digital instruction through Smart TVs, allowing students to participate in technology-enabled lessons regardless of whether they owned devices at home.

By the final year, 90 per cent of teachers reported that digital resources significantly reduced lesson preparation time, while 87 per cent said the project’s focus on prerequisite concepts had strengthened students’ foundational understanding.

Mathematics teacher Sou O Lohrii of Trinity School, Kiphire, said digital resources had helped overcome difficulties in teaching concepts that were previously challenging to explain without visual aids.

Although the project has formally concluded, participating teachers will continue to receive free access to NagaEd’s Digital Class platform and offline teaching resources.

NagaEd Founder, Kevisato Sanyu said LEAP was not simply about introducing technology into classrooms but about building teachers’ confidence, improving learning opportunities and demonstrating the potential of collaboration between government, communities and development partners.