Education

The main objective of School Education department is the development of human resource to achieve academic excellence through education. Since the opening of the first experimental school in 1901 by the Christian Missionaries, the progress of education has been tremendous such that Mizoram has become one of the most literate States in India. With continuing effort made by the government through SSA programmes, implementation of Mid-Day Meal scheme and Computer Aided Teachings (CAT), etc., there is a gradual advancement in the field of education.

Primary School:

Number of Primary Schools (Class I - IV) has decreased from 1783 in 2008-09 to 1782 in 2009-10 and enrolment has increased from 151899 in 2008-2009 to 156396 in 2009-20 10, the increase rate of enrolment is 2.96 % over the previous year. The number of teachers in Primary Education has decreased from 8716 in 2008-09 to 8477 in 2009-10.

Middle School:

Number of Middle Schools (Class V - VII) has increased to 1313 in 2009-10 as against 1253 in 2008-09 and the number of students has increased from 64887 in 2008-09 to 66776 in 2009-10, the increase rate of enrolment is 2.91 % over the previous year. The number of teachers has decreased from 7754 in 2008-09 to 7564 in 2009-10.

High School:

Number of High Schools (Class VIII - X) stood at 521 during 2009-10 as against 502 in the previous year. Number of enrolment has increased from 44576 to 48811 during the last two years which is 9.50 % increased; while the number teachers has fallen to 3853 during 2009-10 against 3886 in the previous year.

Higher Secondary School:

Number of Higher Secondary Schools (Class XI & XII) has increased from 86 in 2008-2009 to 95 in 2009-10. The enrolment has correspondingly increased from 14649 in 2008-09 to 17049 in 2009-10, which is an increase of 16.38 %. The number of teachers has also gone up from 1058 to 1224 during the last two years.

Management of Schools::

Up to 2009-2010, there were 3711 number of schools at different level of education in the State. Out of these, 37.75 % are owned and managed by Central/State Governments; 31.50 % are Private Un-Aided; 25 % are Private-Aided and the rest 5.75 % which comprised of Primary and Middle Schools are run by Local Body, i.e., 3 Autonomous District Councils.

Percentage Distribution of Schools under different Management (2009-2010):

Source: Economic Survey Mizoram 2010-11

Number of Educational Institutions, Teachers & Students in Mizoram:

* Including PUC (Constituent College of MZU)

** DRC = District Resource Centre - Inservice short course training

Source: Statistical Handbook Mizoram 2010

Teacher-Pupil Ratio (TPR):

Teacher-Pupil Ratio means the average number of students per teacher at a specific level of education during a given school year. At present, one teacher is considered to teach approximately 18 students at Primary School, 9 students at Middle School, 13 students at High School and 14 students at Higher Secondary schools.

Status of Trained Teachers:

The availability of trained teachers is one of the most important indicators of quality education. While the percentage of teachers trained in Schools under State Government and local bodies is as high as 81.8% on the average the percentage of trained teachers in private unaided School is merely 5.6%, and that of Private Aided School is 25.2% (average).

Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER):

GER means the total enrolment in a specific level of education regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the eligible official school-age population corresponding to the same level of education in a given school year. An increase in GER indicates a decrease in the number of drop-out students and out of school children in the state.

Status of GER during 2008-09 and 2009-10:

Source: Economic Survey Mizoram 2010-11

Drop-Out Rate:

Drop-Out Rate is the percentage of students/pupils who dropped-out from a given grade or cycle or level of Education in a given school year. As per reconstructed Cohort method the drop out rate during 2009-10 has been worked out to be 18.7% for Primary School, 6.5% for Middle School and 11.8% for High School.

Reconstructed Cohort Method places less demand on the availability of detailed data over time. For applying this Method, data on enrolment by grade for two consecutive years and on repeaters by grade from the first to the second year is sufficient to enable the estimation of three main flow-rates - promotion, repetition and drop-outs.

Literacy:

The literacy rate in Mizoram has increased from 36.23 % in 1951 to 88.8 % in 2001. It is expected to be increased (as per Census of India 2011).

Within a few decades, Mizoram became one of the n literate states in India, now being next only to Kerala which occupy the top position in terms of literacy percentage. The male-female differential in literacy is very narrow figuring only 3.96 as per 2001 Census.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA):

SSA is being implemented in Mizoram since 2001-2002 with an effort to universalize Elementary Education by Community-Ownership of the school system in a mission mode. The project is being implemented with the objective of providing effective and relevant elementary education for all children between 6-14 years Age Group by 2011.

Achievement under SSA:

• 508 P/S teachers and 763 UPS teachers were appointed during previous years under SSA. In addition, 338 Class VIII teachers were also appointed during the financial year 2009-2010

• The SSA Mission has distributed Free Text Books to 1256229 (cumulative) number of students till date. During 2009-2010, 199186 students were provided free text books including Class VIII students below and up to 14 years of age.

• SSA has identified 6769 children with special needs in the state, out of which 6671 children were enrolled in schools and 81 CWSN (Children With Special Needs) were provided home based education. These children were provided wheelchair, crutch, hearing aids and spectacles according to their needs on the directions of technical experts in the assessment camp held every year for the children. Braille and large print textbook has also been provided to the Blind and visually impaired / low vision students. Ramps, handrails, special toilet have also been constructed in the existing schools for the children.

• Maintenance Grant has been given to all Government Schools @ Rs. 0.075 lakhs.

• 405  ECCE centres have been established with enrollment of 10495 children below 6 years of age.

• 17 Girls’ hostels have been established with total enrolment of 418 girl students free of costs at all districts of Mizoram.

• 216 Sports Centres were opened under SC/ST Education for retention at elementary stage and 8456 students were enrolled and at the same time, 8 Sports Hostels were opened in all Districts (1 Hostel each) with total enrolment of 216 students.

• 140 Computer Education Centres were opened in collaboration with AICES Infotech Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata and Computer-Aided Teaching (CAT)  has been started in 50 selected Middle Schools since 2008 in collaboration with JIL Information Technology, Uttar Pradesh. In collaboration with Hole-in-the-Wall Education Limited (HiWEL), computers were installed in 5 selected Upper Primary Schools/Centres in remote areas of Lunglei district. Computer-Aided Learning Modules on Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Health Education, English, etc. were installed in these computers. Children can access these computers during their off-period, recess time, before and after school and on even holidays. 3256 number of students were covered
  under HiWEL during 2009-20 10 in Lunglei district.

Rashtriya Madyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA):

The objective of the scheme is to achieve a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 75 % for Class IX - X within 5 years by providing a Secondary School within a reasonable distance of every habitation, to improve quality of education imparted at Secondary level by making all Secondary Schools conformed to prescribed norms, and to remove gender, socio-economic and disability barriers and to make universal access to Secondary level education by 2017, i.e., by the end of 12^th Five Year Plan and Universal Retention by 2020

Out of the total approved outlay of Rs. 200 lakhs for pre-project activities of RMSA, Government of India has released Rs. 80 lakhs as 1^st installment to the Government of Mizoram. During the financial year of 2009-2010, Project Approval Board has approved Rs. 6768.11 lakhs for various Interventions like School Annual Grant, Minor Repair Grant, construction of new schools, and strengthening of existing schools, etc.; out of which an amount of Rs. 1641.00 lakhs has been received from Government of India and Rs. 49.48 lakhs has been received from State Government as State Matching Share.

Kashturba Gandhi Balika Vidhyalaya (KGBV):

Under this scheme, one residential hostel with capacity of 100 girl child has been established since 2005-06 at Lungsen Block. 3 Brus, 12 Mizos, 5 Paharis and 80 Chakmas were accommodated in the Hostel during 2009-2010.

National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL):

The scheme is implemented for Educationally Backward Block (EBB) of Mizoram i.e., Lungsen Block since 2005-06. Under the scheme, 13 Model Cluster Schools (MCS) have been constructed with cost of Rs. 2.00 lakhs each. These MCS are fully functional, covering 2687 girl children during 2009-10.

Mid - Day Meal:

Mid-Day Meal Scheme was started in Mizoram since 15^th August, 1995 by distributing Raw Rice to students. By an Order of Supreme Court, it was implemented by providing Cooked food to students of Primary Schools since 15^th February, 2006. It was implemented in Educationally Backward Block of Lungsen, Lunglei district from 15^th November, 2007 onwards and from 1^st August, 2008 for Middle Schools in Mizoram without interruption till date. The main objective of the scheme are - improving the nutritional status of children, increasing and encouraging enrolment, retaining and reducing drop-out students.

During the academic session of 2009-2010, as many as 1,09,339 no. of students enjoyed Mid-Day Meal, of which 1430 students are from Primary Schools and 53,937 students are from Middle Schools.

Education Reforms Commission (ERC):

In order to reform the system of education, Government of Mizoram set up the Education Reforms Commission, Mizoram (ERCM) to recommend ways and means to raise standard of education and improvement of quality. The Commission’s terms of reference were wide ranging, covering all sectors of education, namely - pre-school, elementary, secondary, higher and professional education. A wide spectrum of issues including quality of education in relation to academic achievement of students and performance level of schools, drastic reduction of drop-out rate, development of skills for wage and self-employment through vocationalization of education, rejuvenating curriculum reform process, language development, education in universal human values, overhauling the system of governance, have been reflected upon in the report of the Commission. The very setting up of this Commission is a pointer to the expectations the State has from the reformed system of education in the State. Mizoram is the one in the Country which can be legitimately credited with this pioneering decision.

The Commission also visited institutions to have an actual feel of the ground realities. This included Mizoram University, Colleges of General Education, Teachers Education Institutions, Polytechnics, Industrial Training Institute, SCERT, MBSE and different categories of schools. It studied relevant Acts, Government Notifications, Policy Documents, Reports of Committees and Research Reports.

On the basis of its understanding on issues and concerns of education and the possible reform strategies, the Commission has prepared its Report which consists of 15 Chapters, including a consolidated summary of recommendations. The Government of Mizoram constituted Group of Experts which comprises of Chairman, Secretary and 3 Members on 24^th September, 2010 to

1) scrutinize and make recommendation to the Government from the Report of the Education Reforms Commission.

2) determine those actions which are necessary to be taken up on priority basis from the recommendation of the Education Reforms Commission.

3) prepare road map for implementation of the report of the Education Reforms Commission.

The Group of Experts have submitted the Report to the Chief Minister on February 28, 2011.

Higher & Technical Education:

The State is having one Central University known as Mizoram University. At present, there are 20 Government Colleges, 2 Deficit Colleges, 2 teachers training colleges, i.e., College of Teachers Education (CTE) and Mizoram Hindi Training College (MHTC) [degree courses in education is imparted for both in-service and pre-service], Collegiate Boys & Girls Hostel at Aizawl and Shillong, etc., 2 Polytechnics, i.e., Mizoram Polytechnic, Lunglei (MPL) and Women Polytechnic, Aizawl (WPA).