With unemployment staring in the face of the ever-growing number of educated youth in Nagaland, chief minister Neiphiu Rio has said the \u201ccritical gaps\u201d in the State\u2019s education system was largely responsible for educated Naga youth unable to find gainful employment or suitable placement in the job market.\n\u201cAlthough, 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,\u201d the chief minister said in his address at the closing ceremony of the silver jubilee of All Nagaland Private Schools\u2019 Association (ANPSA), held here at DDSC Stadium, Tuesday.
\nDue 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.
\nAs 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%.
\nIn 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.
\nHe 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.
\nWith 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.
\nThe 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.
\nIt 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"