NAMSAI, July 15: Today, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein convened a District Level Coordination Meeting at the Multipurpose Cultural Hall in Namsai to address the concerning performance of government schools in the Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE), particularly in Namsai District. The meeting aimed to discuss the reasons behind the poor results and devise strategies to enhance the quality of education for students.
Expressing deep concern over the declining performance in the state’s school education, Mein emphasized the crucial role of teachers in shaping students’ futures and building the nation. He urged the teaching community to develop a sense of responsibility and belongingness toward their schools and students. The Deputy Chief Minister highlighted the need to identify remedial measures during the meeting and encouraged teachers to fulfill their duties with sincerity.
During the discussion, it was acknowledged that the student-to-teacher ratio in government schools is proportionate in the state. However, Mein stressed the importance of rationalizing the posting of subject teachers. He assured attendees that the government would address infrastructure and faculty requirements to further support the education system. Additionally, he emphasized that teachers should not use these challenges as excuses for neglecting their duties, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the infrastructure provided by the government.
To enhance education quality across the state, the government announced plans to establish a model school in each constituency, with a provision of Rs. 10 crore per school.
Mein called upon the School Management Committees (SMCs) and School Development and Management Committees (SDMCs) to play a proactive role in overseeing school functioning. He encouraged them to convene meetings with community-based organizations (CBOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to facilitate further discussions and effective remedial measures. He also suggested that CBOs/NGOs should adopt schools and monitor their operations.
The Deputy Chief Minister urged school authorities to adopt the latest technologies to improve the education system. He cited two examples: the ‘HamaraVidhyalaya’ Dashboard, which enables monitoring of school functioning and facility availability, and ‘ASILIA,’ an e-fencing based attendance monitoring system designed to combat teacher absenteeism.
Lekang MLA Jummum Ete Deori also emphasized the need for collective efforts to improve the education scenario and called for serious consideration of the matter.
Deputy Commissioner C.R. Khampa provided information on Namsai District’s educational ranking, stating that it stands third from the bottom in the state and among the Aspirational Districts nationwide. He attributed this low ranking to students neglecting their studies after school hours and the lack of a conducive study environment at home. Khampa urged teachers to go beyond their formal duties and visit students’ homes to counsel parents on creating a suitable atmosphere for studying. He also stressed the importance of conducting regular meetings of School Management Committees and warned of disciplinary actions for teachers found absent during duty hours.
During the meeting, DDSE Namsai Koing Samon Umbon presented the performance of schools and reasons for the poor results. Currently, Namsai District has 187 schools, 711 teachers, and 11,873 students. To address the gap in subject teachers, 25 guest teachers have been appointed through the MLA LAD Fund.
The meeting was attended by administrative officers, heads of schools, teachers, CDPO (Child Development Project Officer), Anganwadi mentors, and representatives from SMCs and SMDCs.
