Omnyei M Konyak
In 1878, Mary Mead Clark, the wife of E.W. Clark, established the first school at Molungyimsen and introduced the first textbook in the Ao Naga language. This marked the beginning of a transition from oral traditions to formal education in the Naga Hills. With the spread and adoption of Christianity, our forefather gradually abandoned their old traditions and beliefs, leading to the decline of indigenous institutions, culture, and practices. It shifted identity from village- and tribe-centric to a broader Naga identity.
My mother still recalls stories from her childhood, particularly how my grandmother burned the traditional attire after embracing Christianity. Such personal accounts offer a glimpse into the profound cultural and social transformation that took place during the transition to Christianity.
When Nagaland attained statehood in 1963, its literacy rate stood at just 21.95%, making it one of the least literate states in the country. However, over the decades, the state has made remarkable progress in education. Today, Nagaland's literacy rate is 95.7%, ranking as the third most literate state in India, after Kerala and Mizoram.
Nagaland has 2,734 schools, 32,801 teachers, and 410,389 school-going children. The state has 5 Universities (1 central & 4 private) and 71 colleges (17 govt colleges & 54 private) (source: DIPR).The educational institutions' enrolments are increasing every year, with girls making remarkable progress and performing better than the boys.
Nagaland has witnessed remarkable progress in education over the years and also the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) education in govt. schools like GMS Forest, Sovima and GHSS Jotosoma. However, we must also ask ourselves, “How much do we know about our own history?” Most Naga students are familiar with the French & Russian Revolution, India's struggle for freedom, world geography, Japanese cosplay, and K-Dramas. But how familiar are we with the history of our own state?
Many students remain unaware of the significant events in Naga history, which are the fundamental aspects every Naga should know and value. Therefore, greater emphasis must be placed on teaching Nagaland history, particularly at the high school level. This has also led me to question myself: after all these years of education, how could I remain unaware of my own state history and the issues that have shaped it?
In every educational institution, both private and government, textbooks are provided for Nagaland-related subjects. However, the question is whether the subject is taught with the same importance as science, mathematics, social science, and other major subjects. During my high school days, the Nagaland textbook was barely a hundred pages long. It was treated as a minor subject, and teachers rarely gave it much importance. As a result, I had little knowledge about Naga history during my school years.
The Nagaland government and various Naga political organizations frequently make headlines with early Naga solutions. However, do they question whether the younger Naga generation is aware of these issues, what they are fighting for, and what the underlying causes are? These are important questions that deserve greater attention.
After I started reading the newspapers, I became curious and began questioning myself: “What is the Naga political solution, and why do these issues frequently make headlines without providing proper background information?”This curiosity motivated me to explore through various sources, including books, articles, documentary videos, and news reports. As I continued reading and researching, I gradually began connecting the dots and developing a better understanding of these complex issues.
I am grateful to Besesayo Kezo (IPS, Retd DGP) for consistently writing about Naga history and political issues. I have learned a lot from reading his articles.
The recent syllabus changes of the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) examination have placed greater emphasis on Nagaland subject, with 30 marks allocated for the Preliminary examination and 200 marks in the Mains examination. This reflects the growing importance of our history, events, culture, local administration, special provisions, and so on. Therefore, the education system in Nagaland must also give greater attention and importance to the subjects at the grassroots level. This would help students build a strong foundation from an early age and provide them with an advantage if they choose to appear for NPSC, NSSB, and various other exams in the future.
