People often confuse knowledge and information: Temjen Imna Along

It is imperative that education is accessible to all individuals, regardless of their gender, socioeconomic background, race, or disability. This includes providing equal opportunities for quality education to marginalized and disadvantaged communities. It is also essential to embrace the potential of technology in education.

Temjen Imna Along, Education and Tourism Minister in Nagaland, is of the opinion that it is imperative to provide the youth with a comprehensive education that surpasses the mere acquisition of information. Instead, the focus should be on equipping them with the essential knowledge and skills required for their holistic development. He asserts that the ultimate objective of education is for individuals to contribute positively to our nation, rather than solely attaining literacy.

Imna Along discusses the current state of education in Nagaland and his government’s intentions to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) in Nagaland, in an exclusive interview with ET Edge Insights.

Edited excerpts

What are your key focus to improve the education system in the state of Nagaland?
Our state’s education system has fallen significantly behind due to numerous issues. With the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) by the current administration led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our primary focus is to ensure the integration of a comprehensive and holistic educational infrastructure and the inclusion of vocational studies. This is aimed at enhancing the overall quality and productivity of our state’s human resources.

Under the NEP, the Prime Minister has given digital literacy a great deal of leverage. So, what are your views on it, and how do you plan to implement it in your state?
The majority of government and private colleges in our state are now almost entirely digitalized. However, digitalisation is a subject that changes every six months to a year, and we are attempting to keep up with the shifting landscape. The pupils of today are more intelligent and perform better than we do. Therefore, we are attempting to make optimal use of digitalisation without disrupting the guru-shishya system of education, for which the teacher and the student are necessary.

Is there a need to create a digital culture so that schools or academies can be better ready for the changing times?
People often confuse knowledge and information. Today, we are living in a rapidly evolving digital world that is flooded with vast amounts of information. However, it is important to note that not all of this information necessarily translates into knowledge. It is crucial to recognise that as we raise our young men and women who are striving for educational excellence, they deserve to receive a comprehensive education that goes beyond mere information and instead focuses on providing them with the necessary knowledge and skills. It is the responsibility of parents, as well as teachers in schools, colleges, and other institutions of higher learning, to ensure a balanced approach that promotes excellence.

Could you provide an example of any initiative that has had a positive impact on education in the state of Nagaland?
We are holistically trying to follow the NEP. Following our independence, NEP has been an initiative that has the potential to revolutionise the entire nature of education as a whole and as a knowledge business. Both our state and central government are providing us with assistance in every possible way. We strive to do our best with the resources available to us.

As an education minister, how do you identify and overcome challenges that your role may pose?
I believe that implementing the NEP in a small state like Nagaland, where tribal, ethnic, indigenous, and traditional outputs are vastly different, is a challenge in and of itself. Therefore, in order to optimally align ourselves with the NEP in small states like Nagaland, or even Mizoram or Arunachal Pradesh, or other parts of the North-Eastern states, we must be able to contextualise the policies which the NEP has brought about in the state of Nagaland.

Education must be holistic in nature. When it comes to education, the convergence of multiple departments/ministries is crucial, as it cannot be the sole obligation of the department of higher education, the department of school education, or the department of technical education to manage that stream. But as we move forward with the NEP, we need all the other departments to get on board and help make things happen, which is a big task for a state like Nagaland. Each and every ministry functions independently. So, I think there are a few hurdles to understanding and bringing in the convergence to provide the proper education, but I’m confident that we’ll be able to overcome them.

What is your vision regarding the progress of education in Nagaland over the next five years?
The ultimate goal of education is for educated people to do well for our country, not just be literate people. There are significant differences between them. Our holistic vision is to have individuals who are willing to embrace challenges, demonstrate commitment, and strive for personal growth alongside the collective. It should not be limited to just 5 years; instead, it should span over 50 years or even extend beyond our lifetimes. Our greatest asset lies in the human resources we possess, where individuals are capable of facing challenges with both patience and commitment. I personally strive to actively participate in this community in order to embrace and promote its vision effectively.