More Hindi teachers needed in NE region, Mizoram MP tells Parliament

Aizawl: Mizoram Rajya Sabha member K. Vanlalvena has urged the Centre to raise the number and improve the status of Hindi teachers in the Northeast region, an official statement said during zero hour of the on-going budget session on Friday.

K.Vanlalvena raised the issue of shortage of Hindi teachers in the Northeast and the need to improve their status, the statement said.

He informed the house that as many as 855 posts of Hindi teachers have been sanctioned and appointed under Samagra Shiksha scheme in Mizoram apart from the existing 384 Hindi teachers in high schools and 724 Hindi teachers in middle schools.

“While this could fill the gap of requirement of hindi teachers in government schools and government aided schools, the most important stage of education in language learning i.e. the primary schools could not be provided with Hindi language learning till date in the Northeast,” the MP was quoted as saying by the statement.

As per new norms under Samagra Shiksha scheme, the Centre’s share in various components, particularly salary of teachers and teacher educators,  reduces  on a yearly basis, which put more pressure to the financial burden of the state governments, the Mizo National Front (MNF) MP said.

He suggested that the existing ratio of 90:10 for all components under Samagra Siksha be restored and continued for small states, including  the entire Northeastern states. 
He further suggested a revision of the condition of appointment of teachers under Samagra Shiksha scheme  on the par with their counterparts under the state governments.

He urged the Centre to allocate more funds to enhance salary components under the scheme.

Vanlalvena also explained the importance of Hindi as a very significant factor in building up and safeguarding national integration particularly with regard to children of the NE region many of whom belong to Mongoloid tribes and of non-Hindi speaking community.

Compared to other states where Hindi is common language of the residents, children of NE region are at a disadvantage in learning Hindi from tender age as their parents are also unable to speak in Hindi, he said.

He said that providing Hindi teachers to the Northeastern states is no less important than deploying a battalion of army.

The Mizoram MP urged the Centre to take measures to raise the status of Hindi teachers in various schools who are employed as muster-roll teachers on the par with regular teachers.

He also emphasized the need for more Hindi teachers and better status for them in the entire NE region so as to establish peace and integration with other parts of the country.

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