$68 mn dollar project approved for Nagaland Education by World Bank

NAGALAND: The World Bank on Wednesday approved a $68 million dollar project for developing quality education and promoting good educational governance in the state of Nagaland. Naming it as 'The Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources Project', the World Bank seeks to introduce enhanced classroom instruction practice, blend in technological learning with the traditional modes and resources, employ proper monitoring and assessment techniques as well as create better opportunities and professional engagements for the teachers of the state.

The Nagaland education project is a part of the four India Projects adopted by the World Bank for supporting and promoting developmental initiatives in India. Summing up to a total of 800 million dollars, the projects will surround a range of activities such as India's social protection architecture, promoting nutrition-supportive agriculture for tribal households in Chattisgarh,  improving safety and performance of the different dams in India as well as bettering the conditions and infrastructure of educational institutions in Nagaland.

In a Press Release, the Institution stated "Today, Nagaland faces challenges of weak school infrastructure, lack of opportunities for the professional development of teachers and limited capacity on the part of communities to partner effectively with the school system." Besides, taking note of the ways in which COVID 19 has further hampered the education senario, it was imperative that integrated approaches be introduced to complement the traditional educational practices while also coping with the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic.

According to Junaid Ahmad, the World Bank Country Director in India, an estimate 150,000 students and 20,000 teachers in the government education system in Nagaland would benefit from the statewide reforms in schools. Besides, with the enhanced inputs the World Bank wishes to introduce, the state's educational backbone will be strengthened and made ready for all upcoming opportunities. Besides a total of 15 out of Nagaland's 44 higher secondary schools would be developed into school complexes that operationalize the envisioned learning environment during the project period.

Notably, the $68 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a final maturity of 14.5 years including a grace period of five years. Complementing the Nagaland's Education Management and Information System (EMIS), the World Bank team is quite hopeful of making the entire education system resourceful, child-centric and adept at state-of-the-art technologies. 

Also Read: Newly-elected BTC member accused in a minor's rape case