Advisor for School Education & SCERT, Dr Kekhrielhoulie Yhome, handed over laptops to schools and departments under School Education at an event held today at the Directorate in Kohima.
This distribution of laptops is an initiative of the Nagaland Education Project – The Lighthouse (NECTAR) to support the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure needs across schools and offices by enhancing the capacity of education managers for engaging digital monitoring and governance mechanisms to fulfil their administrative duties in a streamlined fashion, in compliance to the National Education Policy (2020).
The NECTAR project informed that to this end, laptops are being given to all 249 Government High Schools and 55 Government Higher Secondary Schools, District Education Offices, and Sub-Divisional Education Offices under the Directorate of School Education (DoSE). Laptops were also issued to the SCERT, eight DIETs under SCERT, NBSE office, and Department of School Education (Administrative office).
Special Guest of today’s event, Dr Kekhrielhoulie Yhome, in his keynote address also highlighted the same and said that the first component of the NECTAR project is to improve the governance system. He said that the distribution of laptops is part of that initiative with the idea to streamline the governance system by studying the administrative roles and structure of governance in the education system. He also stated that there is a plan to come up with the Nagaland Education Service and the Nagaland Education Administrative Service.
Further, the Advisor commended the data of teachers and employees collected through the Teachers Attendance Monitoring System as a huge achievement that will enable the Department to understand many aspects, such as appointment and retirement, which in turn will help in the planning process. Dr Yhome also emphasised that “despite the challenges, we need to initiate the transition to a data-driven and data-intensive process which will help improve our governance system.”
Thavaseelan K (IAS), Principal Director, DoSE, and Project Director, NECTAR stated that laptops are meant for all the schools and establishments under the Department of School Education. He set the context by stating that the laptops would help achieve the objectives of the NECTAR project, i.e., to enhance the governance of schools across Nagaland and to improve teaching practices and learning environment in select school complexes. Thavaseelan further stated that the Education Management Information System, amongst other initiatives of the project, will receive a boost through the enhanced digital infrastructure.
Earlier, Avelu Ruho (NCS), Joint Secretary, DSE, and Deputy Project Director, NECTAR delivered the welcome address. She encouraged all the schools and establishments to utilise the laptops for supporting the maintenance of data and the effective management of schools. She also urged them to retain the laptop at the schools and establishments so that it serves their ICT needs effectively. Further, Ruho informed that the remaining schools from all the districts should collect the laptops on or before 20 September 2024 at the NECTAR office, Directorate of School Education.
