Kohima, Sep 5 (PTI) Nagaland has emerged as the third most literate state in the country with a literacy rate of 95.7 per cent, Advisor School Education and SCERT, Dr Kekhrielhoulie Yhome said on Saturday.
Addressing the state-level Teachers’ Day celebration at the local ground in Kohima, Yhome attributed the remarkable transformation in the high literacy rate largely to the contribution of teachers, saying the achievement would not have been possible without their sustained efforts.
“When Nagaland got statehood in 1963, the literacy rate was among the lowest at 21.95 per cent. Today, it is the third most literate state in the country, only behind Kerala and Mizoram, with 95.7 per cent,” Yhome said.
He described the progress as a significant achievement for a relatively young society and thanked teachers for not only improving lives through education but also imparting lifelong lessons.
Yhome said 32,714 teachers serving across government and private schools in Nagaland are currently engaged in educating the state’s children. He said their contribution was particularly significant given the difficult geographical and working conditions faced by many teachers across the state.
Describing teaching as one of the “most noble professions”, he said teachers impart the same love and care to their students as they would to their own children.
“The reward they get is how their children fare in life,” he said, emphasising that the success of students remains the greatest source of satisfaction for teachers.
Yhome said the state government is working towards transforming Nagaland’s school education system around three key pillars — infrastructure, human resources and curriculum.
On infrastructure, he acknowledged that inadequate facilities remain a major challenge in both government and private schools, including the absence of basic amenities such as toilets in some schools, particularly affecting girl students. He said infrastructure would be progressively improved through developmental projects.
The second pillar, he said, would focus on teacher training, human resource management, improved coordination between schools and field offices, and stronger administration and governance. The government also intends to bring greater personalisation to the school system through a stronger school feeder system, he said.
The third and “perhaps most important” pillar would be the introduction of a world-class education system through curriculum redesign and innovative approaches aimed at preparing students for the demands of the 21st century, he said.
Yhome said the education system must evolve to prepare Gen Z, Gen Alpha and future generations for a rapidly changing world, stressing the need to equip students with global 21st-century skills.
“We are building a generation of leadership, and that comes through our school ecosystem,” he said.
He also highlighted achievements by Naga students and institutions as evidence of the potential to compete at national and international levels. Yhome said the government’s broader objective was to nurture generations capable of becoming “world-class” and competing with the best internationally.
The Advisor also congratulated Government Higher Secondary School, Sechu Zubza, for producing teacher R Ronald Meru, who received the National Teachers’ Award in New Delhi on Saturday, saying his selection among teachers from across the country was a matter of pride for Nagaland.
The state-level Teachers’ Day celebration was organised by the School Education Department, Government of Nagaland.
Altogether, 12 teachers from government and private institutions were honoured with awards for their dedication to the profession and their students. The programme also featured the presentation of the School Safety Excellence Award.
Teachers’ Day is observed annually on September 5 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr S Radhakrishnan and recognise the contribution of teachers to society and nation-building.
Meanwhile, the state government has declared September 7 a holiday for all educational institutions in honour of teachers. PTI NBS NBS RG
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