Rasina Yeasmin Tapadar
Modern College, Piphema
As we move into 2026, Nagaland's education landscape presents a striking duality. On paper, the state is a beacon of success, having recently overtaken many large states to become the third most literate state in the country, with a literacy rate of 95.7%. Yet, beneath these impressive statistics lie a complex administrative hurdle and a desperate need for vocational transformation.
The journey from 21.9% literacy rate at the time of statehood in 1963 to nearly 96% today is nothing short of a social revolution. Currently, we boast of over 2,700 schools and a Pupil-Teacher ratio of 13:1, which is significantly better than the national average of 21:1. Despite the state's high literacy projection, a survey conducted by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics revealed a sobering ‘education paradox’. Nearly 92% of residents lack formal technical or vocational training. The current system has been criticised for being ‘degree heavy’ but ‘skill light’ producing thousands of graduates every year who find themselves as unemployable in our modern market economy. The effect is heavy reliance on government jobs/sector, which is already scarce and may be even saturated, resulting in a situation of a ‘ticking time bomb’ between the existing educational system and employment.
The road to reform is also thwarted with obstacles i.e. recent months have witnessed administrative friction process by Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiya (RMSA) teachers over pending salaries and regularisation. Nagaland education is at a crossroads, facing both achievements and challenges. The impressive rise in state literacy rate with initiatives like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the Right to Education (RTE) contributing to the state along with the various Polytechnic institutions and the Nagaland University enhancing the access to higher education. On the other hand, ‘Profiteering’ concerns raised by various bodies and organisations have flagged the commercialisation of education where private institutions allegedly forced parents to buy overpriced textbooks and uniforms from the school.
For Nagaland, to move from literary to educate in the true sense, three basic revamps are essential i.e.
i. Vocational integration Schools must move beyond the blackboard and integrate Traditional Art and Agriculture coding technology.
ii. Upgrading of educational institutions in remote areas to ensure a fair and even playing fields for the students,
iii.Accountability i.e. weeding out teacher absenteeism and ensuring merit-based recruitment to restore public faith in our existing educational system.
The state must address these issues by promoting digital literacy, vocational-based learning systems and the adoption of a bilingual approach and a farsighted meticulous navigation to ensure equitable and quality education for all.
