You always remember that one special teacher from your school days. The one who made you want to learn and inspired you to pursue higher education and later, a career.
In India’s northeastern state of Nagaland, Ms Rokovono Meyase, from Kohima district, is one such teacher. The atmosphere is electric as soon as she walks into the classroom. Students are immediately engaged, enthralled, laughing and learning at the same time. That’s quite an achievement since the subject she teaches is math, one that her students found daunting not so long ago.
A couple of years ago, however, Ms Meyase would come to RÜZHÜKHRIE Government Higher Secondary School without a clear lesson plan. Nor did she know how she could help her students overcome their fear of the subject and reach their full potential.
“Improved teaching methods equal better results in students. After training, I found math teaching and learning can be fun. I introduced the students to pair work and group work, and could encourage girls to be interested in maths,” she said. “It has helped their confidence and they learn from each other.”
Now, many of her Class 12 students say they want to continue studying and go on to work as researchers, scientists and engineers when they grow up.
“I want to become an environment researcher one day,” said Kimiyeni Swu, Class 12.
In Search of Quality Education
Nagaland is a hilly state with forests leading to poor roads and connectivity. Three-fourths of households are in rural areas with more than 60 percent of the population depending on agriculture for their livelihood. More than 85 percent of all salaried jobs are in the government/public sector, and the next biggest employer is the Church. As a result, many young people often leave the state in search of jobs.
Due to the topography, schools are unevenly spread out in rural and urban centers. A decade ago, Nagaland’s enrollment rates were low, dropout rates at the primary level were the second highest in the country, and only one in three children went on to secondary school. According to government estimates, two-thirds of those who remained never finished school.
The state’s 2,000 schools had limited access to amenities like libraries, science laboratories or sports complexes for 150,000 students. Rural students—often the first in their families to attend school—did not receive adequate teaching materials or qualified instruction.
“Before, there was less trust in government schools due to poor teacher quality and lack of staff,” said a rural school administrator from Porba district. “But now it is improving. I’m proud of my students and I’m sure they will become good leaders who will contribute to the state’s growth.”
read more: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2026/07/22/in-india-s-northeast-a-hilly-state-connects-students-to-better-jobs-through-improv
