Anchoring Development: A Swot Analysis of Quality Education in Nagaland’s Secondary Schools

Quality education is the anchor of development in all aspects of life. Despite having a high literacy rate of 72.98%, the youth of Nagaland still encounter challenges in accessing quality education. The present study is a theoretical framework of quality education at the secondary level in Nagaland. The study aims to reveal the challenges, barriers, and innovative practices prevalent in the secondary education system in Nagaland, based on an existing review of related literature, using a SWOT analysis technique. The reviews revealed several challenges faced by schools in Nagaland, including a lack of infrastructure, teacher-focused pedagogy, the absence of equality and equity in accessing resources and technology, challenges in teaching and learning STEM subjects, a shortage of qualified teachers, and many other issues. Moreover, the study discussed the unaccountable attitude of the students towards academics and substance abuse, which are also hindering the educational performance of the students. Furthermore, the present study identified different programmes and policies that the Nagaland Board of Secondary Education, Department of School Education, and the Government of Nagaland have initiated to uplift the quality of education in the state, such as the implementation of the Nagaland Education Project-The Lighthouse-Nagaland Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources (NECTAR); and the Nischal’s Portable & Micro-scale Laboratories; the introduction of the Financial Literacy Course; vocational education in both private and government schools, among others. The study highlights that Nagaland has a huge potential to meet the various goals of NEP 2020 and SDG-4, like increasing enrolment and retention, enhancing the holistic development of learners, inclusivity in education, enhancement of technology in teaching learning, quality teachers, and universalization of quality education, if it addresses and controls its core elements identified by SWOT analysis.