The Government of Nagaland under the visionary leadership of past and present administrations has made commendable strides in advancing school education through centrally sponsored schemes such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and the current integrated Samagra Shiksha initiative. Additionally, international funding through the NEP-Lighthouse (NECTAR) World Bank project has enhanced the external and internal infrastructure of schools. These efforts reflect a commitment to quality education and equitable access across villages and towns. However, the persistent non-payment of salaries and denial of service benefits to government school teachers particularly those appointed in 2010 and 2013 undermine these achievements. As a concerned citizen, I wish to highlight the systemic challenges faced by these teachers and calls for urgent action to address their grievances.
The plight of government school teachers in Nagaland particularly those under the aegis of Nagaland Government Teachers Association (NGTA) comprising Primary and Graduate Teachers is marked by the following predicaments:
- Teachers appointed through open Departmental Examinations in 2010 and 2013 have consistently faced delays in salary disbursement unlike same teachers in the same Department of School Education who are paid regularly without any hiccups. These mentioned qualified educators in focus are also government employees with responsibilities including loans, family needs and educational expenses for their children. The non-payment of salaries for months even in 2025 jeopardizes their morale and financial stability.
- Despite performing their duties diligently, these NGTA teachers have gone without salaries for two months in 2025. These educators who depend on their income for daily sustenance are struggling to provide for their families and support their children’s education. The lack of timely payment places them in a precarious financial position.
- Although these teachers were mainstreamed in 2022 through a reliable source, the issue of non-payment persists, unlike other state employees who receive monthly salaries. This disparity highlights a stepmotherly approach toward teachers who are critical to the state’s education system.
- Nagaland, heavily reliant on central government funds must ensure equitable treatment of all its employees. Delayed salaries should be compensated with interest to mitigate the financial strain on teachers and uphold fairness in governance.
The absence of timely salaries negates the exquisiteness of upgraded school infrastructure akin to a “garden blessed with diversity of flowers, fruits and greenery devoid of a gardener and watchman, destined to be damaged by intruders or worn out.” Initiatives like the TAMS App under NECTAR Project for accountability, Samagra Shiksha interventions risk becoming futile if teachers- “the steering force of implementation” are humiliated and enraged by unpaid dues. The question arises: Were schools opened and teachers appointed solely to perpetuate their torment by denying them their rightful salaries? Must these educators resort to strikes or protests, only to face forceful measures like “water cannons,” to secure their dues and enter the “Paradise of School Education” as regularized employees with deserved privileges?
The symptoms of discontent among Nagaland’s government school teachers are evident and the consequences of inaction are dire. Quality education cannot flourish when the educators themselves are deprived of basic financial security. The Government of Nagaland must diagnose and treat this issue promptly by ensuring timely salary payments, compensating for delays and granting service benefits like seniority and Old Pension Scheme (OPS) entitlements. Erasing stepmotherly treatment and fostering equitable governance will not only uplift teacher morale but also strengthen the state’s education system. The time to act is now: lest the vision of quality education remains an unfulfilled promise.
Jonathan
Lower Bayavii, Kohima