The Nagaland State Level Education Committee (SLEC) has announced that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will be implemented across both government and private schools in Nagaland starting from the academic year 2025. The decision, part of a broader series of educational reforms, was made during an SLEC meeting chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who also serves as the Minister-in-charge of School Education and SCERT and Chairman of SLEC, according to PTI.
According to a statement issued by the School Education Department on Friday, the committee approved the new 5+3+3+4 structure under NEP 2020, emphasizing structural changes aimed at enhancing early childhood care and foundational learning. Additionally, the SLEC resolved to establish the Nagaland Education Service, with a committee to be constituted to work out the modalities.
Among the significant changes approved by the SLEC is the mandatory requirement for private schools to obtain prior permission from the Education Department before establishment. Furthermore, all private schools in the state will be required to operate under the authority of registered societies.
The SLEC also sanctioned the upgradation of several government schools across Nagaland. Six government middle schools (GMS) in Kohima, Dimapur, and Mon districts will be upgraded to high schools, while the government primary school (GPS) at Ikishe village will be upgraded to a middle school (GMS). Additionally, middle classes of 16 GMS will be amalgamated with 16 high schools, which will be renamed as GPS. In total, 20 primary and middle schools will be restructured under the GMS and GHS categories.
The SLEC also passed for closure of at least 17 GPS with zero enrolment, including nine in Peren district, two each in Wokha and Zunheboto districts and one each in Chumoukedima, Phek, Mon and Tuensang districts.
The SLEC decided that the teachers posted in these schools would be redeployed to the nearby schools. It also approved down-gradation of 54 GMS to GPS due to zero enrolment or for having only one student enrolled in classes 6, 7 and 8. Zunheboto district has highest 15 such schools, followed by Peren at 12, six in Kiphire, five in Wokha, four each in Mon and Phek, three in Chumoukedima, two each in Niuland and Tuensang and one each in Dimapur and Kohima districts.
The graduate teachers currently posted in these schools would be redeployed to other schools, it said.
Down-gradation of 13 GHS to GMS due to zero enrolment in classes 9 and10 – four each in Kiphire & Zunheboto districts and one each in Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Peren and Phek districts. However, the SLEC notified that these schools would be reviewed for up-gradation on improvement in the enrolment of students in the GMS while the excess teachers in these schools would be redeployed to other schools with shortage of teachers.
The SLEC also approved the proposal for conversion of vacancies of various categories of posts under the establishment of Directorate of School Education into other categories on need basis for which a committee would be constituted to study and take up the matter with the Personnel and Administrative Reforms and Finance Departments for further action.
It has also decided to set up the State School Standards Authority (SSSA) and formulate the Nagaland State Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (SQAAF).