Guwahati: Nagaland’s ambitious school reform programme is showing early signs of success, with the state’s Grade 10 completion rate rising from 34% to 47% in just three years, according to a World Bank assessment released on Thursday.
The report attributes the improvement to the $56.5-million Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources (NECTAR) project, launched in 2020 to transform government schools through better teaching, improved infrastructure and stronger school management.
The initiative—the World Bank’s first education project to be directly implemented by a northeastern state government—is beginning to reverse years of poor learning outcomes in a state where difficult terrain, inadequate infrastructure and teacher shortages have long hampered education.
Alongside higher completion rates, learning outcomes have also improved. Government survey data show Grade 3 language scores increased from 60% in 2021 to 63% in 2024, while mathematics scores rose from 51% to 57% over the same period.
More than 130,000 students, over half of them girls, are now benefiting from the programme, which has introduced modern teaching methods, digital learning tools and vocational education in government schools across the state.
Teachers say the shift from rote learning to interactive classrooms has transformed student engagement.
“I found maths teaching can be fun. Group learning has boosted students’ confidence and encouraged more girls to take an interest in mathematics,” said Rokovono Meyase, a mathematics teacher at Rüzhükhrie Government Higher Secondary School in Kohima.
The reforms extend beyond the classroom. The project is upgrading 16 Lighthouse School Complexes with science laboratories, libraries and digital facilities, while introducing real-time teacher attendance systems and an education management information system.
School management committees have also received performance-based grants to improve local infrastructure and introduce practical skills such as carpentry, basket weaving, gardening, painting and crochet, aimed at preparing students for self-employment and entrepreneurship.
The World Bank noted that Nagaland’s economy offers limited private-sector employment opportunities, with more than 85% of salaried jobs concentrated in the government and public sectors, prompting many young people to migrate outside the state in search of work.
The reforms aim to equip students with stronger academic foundations and employable skills to improve their career prospects.
Officials said the project is also changing perceptions of government schools by strengthening teacher training, school leadership and community participation.
With new digital systems expected to become fully operational by August, education authorities believe the reforms will further improve accountability and learning outcomes, giving thousands of young Nagas a better chance of pursuing higher education and securing quality employment.
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