Nagaland’s School Education department is set to address the shortage of postgraduate teachers in key subjects, strengthen attendance monitoring, and introduce a digital system for maintaining teachers’ attendance and leave records. Advisor for School Education Kekhrielhoulie Yhome made the announcement on Friday while speaking to media persons in Kohima.
Yhome highlighted the shortage of postgraduate teachers in Mathematics and Science, including Chemistry, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, and Physics. He attributed the shortage partly to unfilled posts under the backward quota and acknowledged opposition from some public organisations to recruitment from outside Nagaland. However, he stated that the government would have no choice if sufficient teachers were unavailable, particularly for technical subjects.
The department is working to introduce an integrated IT system and mobile application to maintain teachers’ attendance and leave records. Yhome explained that all forms of leave would have to be entered into the system, enabling the department to monitor attendance and leave more effectively. He also addressed concerns over internet connectivity, stating that attendance would be automatically updated once the internet connection was restored, reducing the need for constant monitoring.
Regarding Sanskrit in schools, Yhome clarified that its implementation depends on the respective education boards. He noted that Nagaland has schools affiliated to different boards, including the Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE), ICSE, and CBSE. While Sanskrit is not compulsory under NBSE, schools affiliated to ICSE and CBSE would have to follow the mandates of their respective boards.
Yhome also highlighted the financial burden of medical reimbursement and leave encashment, citing that teachers who retired last year alone accounted for around Rs. 39 crore under the two heads. He stated that the Government of Nagaland had incurred around Rs. 1,038 crore across all departments on medical reimbursement and leave encashment over the past five years.
The department is taking measures to ensure government teachers attend schools and teach students, including the development of an attendance system and the introduction of the digital attendance and leave record system.
