Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said on Saturday that despite the difficult geographical terrain of the state, especially the remote parts, the state was making consistent progress to transform the infrastructures of the education sectors.
Virtually inaugurating 51 school infrastructure funded under Samagra Shiksha, the Chief Minister asked the community to come forward and take ownership of the infrastructures provided by the government, to ensure proper maintenance and effective utilisation.
Highlighting the crucial role of community participation, he noted that good infrastructure alone was not enough, monitoring and intermittent upgrades are also vital. CM Rio stated that it was a significant step in the ongoing journey to strengthen education infrastructure while extending his gratitude to the government of India for the continued support.
He also commended the efforts of the Samagra Shiksha team led by the State Mission Director, L Jamithung Lotha. The Chief Minister lamented that many of the infrastructures in the state remain temporary and underscored the urgent need for permanent structures with quality workmanship.
While appreciating the Department of School Education for their constant improvement despite challenges, he asked the Department to conduct a comprehensive study and bring out their needs and requirements. Stressing on the importance of quality education, CM Rio stated that it is at the core of development, which empowers the citizens, drives economic progress, opens up opportunities and makes a society prosper.
He also highlighted the significance of education in creating responsible citizens for a better Nagaland. The Chief Minister called for a collective effort to create a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment for students' holistic development.
Speaking at the event, Advisor for School Education and State Council of Educational Research and Training SCERT, Kekhrielhoulie Yhome informed that of the 16,087 rooms across government schools, 13,767 rooms or 86 per cent are used for instructional purposes.
The rest are used as laboratories, libraries, and teachers’ rooms, etc. He also informed that those rooms are categorised into four categories, rooms in good condition; rooms that require major repair; rooms that require minor repair and dilapidated.
Yhome added that the schools are further divided into pucca structures, partially-pucca structures and kutcha structures. The Advisor stated that the funding from Samagra Shiksha has provided significant assistance in meeting the requirement of school buildings.
Yhome said the officers of the Department are working hard towards the goal of Viksit Bharat and outlined the Department’s goal to bring back about one lakh students to their school system by 2030, which will improve their livelihoods as well as provide financial relief. The Advisor hoped that through better infrastructure, the enrolment of students in Government schools will improve.