Private Schools a high demand-high impact sector in Nagaland

May 16, 2024 9 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Kohima | May 16

Education, considered as the bedrock of societal advancement, plays a pivotal role in shaping individual destinies towards empowerment and growth. Within Nagaland itself, the education landscape encompasses both government-run and privately owned institutions.

Among other enterprises, the state also boasts of a thriving private education sector, which stands out for its distinctive pedagogical approaches, infrastructural investments and advancements.

In this report, The Morung Express briefly delve into the dynamic ecosystem of private schools in Nagaland and contribution to the economy.

Number of Private schools

As of the latest data available by the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Nagaland under USIDE+ 2023-24, the state is home to 771. These private schools inclusive of both state and central boards cater to a diverse range of students across the state

As per the UDISE+ report managed by the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, GoI, the number of private schools stand at 743 in 2020-21which has increased to 757 in 2021-2022.

Enrolment and impact factor

In the current academic year (2023-24), the enrolment of students in private schools stands at 271,123, constituting over 66% of the total student population of 407,282 in Nagaland.

If the total enrolment is contextualise with number of private schools (771) compared to government schools (1930), there are clear indication of substantial demand, popularity, preference, and trust of parents and guardians in private educational institutions.

Sharing his perspectives on differences between government and private schools in Nagaland, Neibu Sechü, a father of three told The Morung Express cited on quality and outcome.

While acknowledging that government schools as having more qualified teachers, he pointed out that the commitment to students’ development and performance is totally different between the two institutions.

Sechü also highlighted an aspect that cannot be attributed solely to government schools: the lack of parental involvement.

He observed that parents who send their children to government schools often exhibit ignorance regarding their children’s activities and fail to follow up on their progress.

Speaking in the context of village background, Sechü also remarked that it is crucial for teachers in government schools to relinquish their village duties. “Many a times, they are given the village responsibilities where they have to attend to their duties and social functions and skip their classes.”

However, he expressed hope that one day government schools will overtake the private schools in the state, though it will take time.

Employment and Financial contribution

A total of 13,975 teachers are currently employed under private schools to support the education of the students, an increase of 1636 teachers from 12,339 in 2021-22.

Through this numbers, it is understood that a significant workforce is engaged in delivering quality education while providing livelihoods to many individuals within the state.

While specific financial figures detailing the exact economic contribution of the private education sector in Nagaland cannot be quantified, it is evident that this sector plays a crucial role in the state’s economy.

As Ketoulhou Metha, OSD Budget from the State Finance Department observed that it is giving direct employment to the teachers, and also indirect employment in the form of infrastructures, constructions etc which goes to the construction workers and contributing to the overall economic well-being of the state.

Furthermore, he emphasised that if these private schools were not present, students would likely shift to other states looking for schools leading a significant drain on the state’s economy.

“Retention of money within the state is happening,” stated Metha, explaining that the presence of private schools in Nagaland is indeed creating employment opportunities and playing a crucial role in keeping the money with the state and that it is definitely, contributing to the state’s economy.