Kohima, September 2: The Nagaland government is reviewing teacher deployment and school rationalisation amid an uneven distribution of teachers and students across government schools. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said the state’s student-teacher ratio stands at around 7:1, compared to the national ratio of approximately 24:1, partly due to schools created or upgraded based on older population figures. With enrolment declining in some areas, the government is considering amalgamating schools with very low or no enrolment and redeploying teachers to institutions facing shortages.
During Question Hour, MLA A. Nyamnyei Konyak raised concerns over vacancies in Middle English and Lower Primary schools, particularly in remote and backward areas. He cited the example of Tobu Higher Secondary School, which has around 97 students in Classes XI and XII but continues to face a shortage of teachers and infrastructure.
School Education Minister Imna Along said teacher deployment is based on the actual requirements of individual schools rather than fixed district-wise quotas. He maintained that rationalisation is not aimed at any particular district, tribe or community, and stressed that schools with students would not be closed merely for the sake of rationalisation. The government said the exercise is intended to correct teacher imbalances while ensuring that students in remote and educationally disadvantaged areas continue to have access to education.
