yet severe shortages: AKM Report
The Ao Kaketshir Mungdang (AKM) has released its report on school visitations and data collection carried out across Mokokchung district from July 2024 to September 2025, highlighting severe teacher shortages, uneven staffing patterns, political transfers and a long list of systemic challenges affecting government schools.
According to the report, Mokokchung has 196 government schools with a total of 2,231 teachers and 9,218 students. This includes 106 primary schools, 48 middle schools, and 42 high and higher secondary schools. Despite the numbers, the student-learning environment remains strained due to vacancies, non-replacement of retired teachers and uneven deployment of staff.
One of the key findings is the acute shortage of Ao language teachers. Out of 196 schools, only 18 have an appointed Ao language teacher. The report states that this gap “poses a challenge for language preservation and transmission to younger generations.”
Findings from school visits
The report lists several issues raised by teachers and students:
• Implementation of NEP 2020: Teachers said that frequent activities and same-day reporting requirements under NEP 2020 were taking away classroom time.
• Shortage of ECCE-trained teachers: Early Childhood Care and Education programmes lack specialised instructors.
• Frequent training programmes: Trainings conducted in town centres disrupt classes, particularly in remote areas such as Aosenden, Aosungkum, Aokum, Kangtsungyimsen and NEC Farm.
• Urban migration and low birth rate: Several schools have seen declining enrolment as families move to towns for better opportunities.
• No replacement of retired teachers: Retired teachers have not been replaced in many schools.
• Community-funded teachers: Many institutions rely on teachers funded by School Management Committees and village councils “due to government negligence,” the report notes.
The report also highlights poor connectivity in the Japukong, Jangpetkong and Tzurangkong ranges, where teachers struggle to upload materials due to weak mobile networks and bad roads.
On the Mid-Day Meal programme, some schools reported receiving expired food items. Schools located far from sub-division offices said they are forced to pool money, hire a mini-truck, and even sell some rice bags to cover transportation costs, since no travel assistance is provided.
Political transfers to urban areas
A major concern raised in the report is teacher transfers influenced by political leaders. Some schools reported that “teachers are often transferred at the request of Ministers, MLAs and top Government Officials as the teacher wants to stay posted in urban areas.”
This, according to AKM, has aggravated shortages in rural and border areas.
The report also recommends shifting from a teacher-student ratio to a teacher-classroom ratio, noting that even schools with low enrolment need the full staffing pattern because students are spread across different classes.
On the SMILE App introduced in 2025 to monitor teacher attendance, the report states that it is not functioning properly in many schools due to technical glitches and network issues. Although the app has marked some teachers absent, the report says no clarification or corrective action has been issued by the Government.
AKM, Ao Senden, Watsü submit joint memorandum to Principal Director
On November 11, AKM, Ao Senden and Watsu Mungdang submitted a joint memorandum to the Principal Director, Department of School Education, highlighting the urgent need for rationalisation and recruitment of subject teachers.
They stated that several schools face acute shortages while others have surplus staff, and many lack teachers in core subjects such as Science, Mathematics and languages. A comprehensive report has been submitted to the department.
The organizations urged the department to:
· Carry out district-specific rationalisation before the end of the 2025 academic session and implement it from 2026.
· Recruit qualified subject teachers without delay.
·Adopt a teacher-classroom ratio for rationalisation.
· Review the performance and reliability of the SMILE App.
· Streamline Mid-Day Meal delivery by ensuring supplies reach each school directly.
·Discontinue community-funded teachers from the next academic session.
·Undertake rationalization in consultation with the DEO and SDEOs.
The memorandum concludes by stating that the district’s educational challenges require “urgent and coordinated action” to ensure equitable teacher distribution and quality education for students.