Aizawl, October 18 2009: The Mizoram Education Reforms Commission has launched the first phase of state-wide quality education campaign even as Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla has said poor schools only produce unemployable educated youths.

In a first round of meeting, the MERC members headed by its chairman Prof A K Sharma, will meet officials of ICFAI, MBSE and SCERT.

Besides interaction with officials concerned, the MERC will visit CTE, ITI, Hindi Training College, St Pauls HSS/HS, Govt Mizo HSS/HS, Mizoram University, DIET, Polytechnic, Mount Carmel and Pachhunga University College during October 20-23, reported UNI.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister, while addressing a golden jubilee function of St Johns Higher Secondary School at Kolasib yesterday, emphasised the need and urgency to improve the education system right from primary level.

''Many schools in Mizoram have seriously suffered from the division of loyalties (of the teachers).

This has resulted in extinction of a good number of flourishing schools before 50 years,'' Thanhawla said.

According to the Chief Minister, the students bear the brunt of insincerity and indolence of the teachers.

''The main reason behind the increasing number of jobless youths in the state is their poor background of schooling.

Because they did not get quality education from the schools, they cannot pass competitive exams.

It is the schools, not them, which are to be blamed,'' the chief minister said.

The chief minister also noted with a grave concern that there are many teachers who are not qualified and not free from intoxicants, saying ''they are not exemplary to their students''.

Lal Thanhawla called for the concerted efforts to bring about a paradigm shift in the system of education in Mizoram.

Having education reforms in its top agenda, the Congress, after a few months in office, set up the eleven-member Education Reforms Commission headed by former Director of NCERT Prof A K Sharma to recommend improvement of quality of education in the state.

The Commission would examine the current status of pre-primary to higher education level and recommend improvement of the quality of education and foster competitiveness.

The other members to constitute the commission include that of Prof G L Arora (New Delhi), Prof Ved Prakash, Vice Chancellor of National University of Educational Planning and Administrator Prof A N Rai, Vice Chancellor of the Mizoram University and local academicians.

The terms of reference included reduction of school dropout rate and reviewing the functioning of the state education board, SCERT and Indira Gandhi National Open University in Mizoram.

Having offices in Aizawl and New Delhi, the Education Reforms Commission is expected to complete its task within six months and its term may be extended for another two months.

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