“Critical gaps” in State’s education system: Rio

With unemployment staring in the face of the ever-growing number of educated youth in Nagaland, chief minister Neiphiu Rio has said the “critical gaps” in the State’s education system was largely responsible for educated Naga youth unable to find gainful employment or suitable placement in the job market.
“Although, Nagaland has already achieved a reasonably high rate of literacy, much above the national level, yet, there are still critical gaps in our education system, mostly due to the syllabus not being adequately updated to suit the ever changing job requirements,” the chief minister said in his address at the closing ceremony of the silver jubilee of All Nagaland Private Schools’ Association (ANPSA), held here at DDSC Stadium, Tuesday.
Due to these defects in the education system, education had often failed to give true empowerment to the youth, the power to find gainful employment, and be self-supporting and independent, Rio said.
As per the census report of 2001, Nagaland has a literacy rate of 67.11% against the national average of 54.16%. According to the chief minister, the present literacy rate of the State was likely to touch 80%.
In order to remove the lacunae in the education system, the State government had supported the establishment of two private universities in Nagaland by passing the required Acts in the Assembly.
He also said the government was actively pursuing the establishment of a Central Institute of Information Technology & Communication in Nagaland, and a decision to this regard had been taken during the 4th NEC Sectoral Summit on IT held at Kohima in July 2007.
With the various job-oriented and practical courses to be offered by the new universities, Rio hoped that the students who graduated from such universities and institutions would be better equipped for the job market in Nagaland and elsewhere.
The chief minister also said establishment of high quality educational institutions in Nagaland would go a long way in reversing the present trend of Naga students flocking to other institutions outside the State to study, and help in retention of huge financial resources within the State otherwise spent by Naga students studying outside the State.
It is estimated that every year at least 15,000 Naga students seek admission in colleges and other educational institutions outside the State, with their parents spending about Rs. 200 crore for these students.