Despite the mischief done by the famished dog which had deprived them of their “Scroll” - Mizo boys and girls more than vindicated their aptitude for learning.

“ Education, it has been emphasized, is the main instrument of social change in the life of a nation. How important, then, is its role in Mizoram which is essentially tribal and mountainous in nature! It can be said, without hesitation, that in the field of education, Mizoram has taken a giant leap. In terms of inputs, the figures speak for themselves when one considers the fact that the population of the state is about 9 lakhs, with more than a third of the population under the Education Department” the official said.

Yograj Chhetri, director of Mizoram Economic & Statistics revealed that Mizoram has a literacy percentage of over 89 percent only second to Kerala in the country, which speaks volumes for the pace with which education has spread considering the fact that the first schools were established during last decades of 18th century. The Mizos have done well in competitive examinations like the lAS, IPS and other Central Services.

“These and other achievements are more laudable when one considers the difficulties faced by the then Union Territory of Mizoram. First of all, there were the problems of communication especially geographic which sometime seemed insurmountable for efficient administration. Then, the Union Territory had been the scene of political unrest, MNF insurgency, which has had damping effect on its progress in all fields. Besides these, the UT faced the dearth of teaching aids, teacher and equipments of quality.” Chhetri said.

But all these difficulties have been overcome by factors that are to be considered as the greatest inputs in education. Foremost among them was the keen desire of the people for education. There was no need to persuade the parents to send their children to the schools nor was there any need of any incentive to get the children to the school. This positive attitude towards education has gone a long way in raising the educational standards in Mizoram.

Added to this is the sense of dedication of teachers who toil hard in spite of obvious handicaps. Then again, there is the deep involvement of the community in the progress of education. This involvement of the community at every stage of the educational process has been an outstanding feature of the state and this factor has contributed to the survival and advancement of education in spite of the difficulties.

However, like all developing areas, Mizoram too has reached the crossroads. The Mizoram education minister Dr. R. Lalthangliana of late had opined that the concept that educational development as the precondition for the overall development of the people and the region is a deep rooted belief. This belief coupled with the subsequent ever mounting educational aspirations of parents and their children has resulted in an educational crisis. This crisis is that the demand for education has exerted its pressure so much that the existing colleges, schools and other institutions are unable to meet the demands adequately. “The resource being limited, escape routes were found. Two such obvious escape routes have been the over crowding of the existing institutions and the indiscriminate opening of new institutions without assessing the inputs and its capabilities” , the minister added.

Intellectuals in Aizawl felt that both of these escape routes have brought about a lowering of educational standards. The escape routes can exist only at the expense of quality, which is precisely the cross roads, at present in Mizoram. Though, Mizoram has a high literacy percentage, the educational standards, unfortunately, are poor when one considers the average person. “It is necessary to take stock and decide on what lines we will proceed, what the priorities will be. Basically, the issue is between ‘Quantity and Quality’. While on the one hand expansion in the field of education is nearly getting out of hand, quality has so far eluded our outstretched hands”, observers opined.

According to one Academician, in the educational field, the task ahead would be less of a ‘quantitative nature’, the emphasis being on a ‘qualitative improvement’. Expansion must stop and the stage of consolidation must begin. Existing institutions must be strengthened in terms of resources both human and material. Combined with this, efforts must be made to evolve a suitable teaching methodology that will deliver the goods efficiently. “Three things are essential: first, a curriculum that is suited to the life, needs and aspirations of the people while keeping in view the national standards, secondly the qualitative improvement of the teachers, and thirdly, the acquisition of basic equipment in the institutions”.

The official sources here said that Mizoram is essentially a rural area, as is the rest of the country. But what one witnesses is a large scale exodus of the rural population into the urban and sub-urban centres of the state and the subsequent hankering after the ‘white collar’ jobs. It is strange but still a fact that one would prefer to be an LDC in an office than a self-sufficient farmer. This sounds all the more jarring when one consider the fact that dignity of labour is one of the positive attitudes associated with the Mizos. The hankering after the “white collar jobs” reflects a tilt in the system of values.

Moreover, the exodus of the population to the urban areas is bound to have economic and sociological repercussions. Thus, a well thought out programme of work experience and vocationalisation of education can contribute a lot towards proceeding in the right direction.

The one single factor that contributes to the qualitative improvement in education, is the existence of teachers of essence. “Serious efforts must be made to improve the efficiency of the teacher. The existing teacher training institutes have to be strengthened so that in these institutions, the acquisition of the skills of teaching are emphasized and not the mere accumulation of knowledge, according to an intellectual.

One gets the impression that education in Mizoram is oriented towards administration rather than towards the academic side. Tables are filled with correspondence to and from in fact, no amount of correspondence can substitute the visit of education officers to help solve problems on the spot. Indeed, these visits can be very satisfying academic experiences for the schools and teachers. It is crystal clear that the academic side of education can never be substituted by administration, no matter how efficient it is.

Budhi Raja, former President of the Mizoram Board of School Education (MBSE) is of the opinion that if priority is given towards a qualitative improvement rather than a quantitative expansion, one would have made the right decision, which is bound to yield rich dividends. It is only then that one will be able to equate the high literacy percentage with equally high educational achievements and standards. On the other hand, a high rate of literacy coupled with low educational standard is a myth. And myths do not last long, Budhi Raja added. He said that in order to raise the State’s educational standards, and in order that education be an agent of social change, there has to be a radical change’ in the education itself, adding that we have to redirect our education so as to inculcate appropriate attitudes and values along with appropriate skills and knowledge.

Veejay Chhetri