Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha announced on Thursday that his government is focusing on addressing the significant disparity in the teacher-student ratio across the state to ensure quality education in schools. Speaking at a programme in Gomati district, Saha discussed the state's ongoing efforts to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which aims to enhance the educational framework in the state. He highlighted that a major issue has been the shortage of teachers, especially headmasters in many schools, and assured that the government is working to fill these gaps. "We are constantly reviewing the implementation of the National Education Policy, which is designed to better equip our students. There has been a big gap between teachers and students in Tripura. In many schools, there have been no headmasters. I have already spoken to the secretaries of the education and finance departments to overcome the shortage," Saha stated.
The Chief Minister, who also holds the Education portfolio, emphasized that ensuring quality education is a top priority. He mentioned that Tripura previously followed the syllabi of the West Bengal Board and Calcutta University, which posed challenges for students competing in national or state-level examinations. However, the government has now introduced the NCERT syllabus, which he believes gives Tripura’s students a competitive edge in national exams. "Earlier, we used to follow the syllabi of West Bengal Board and Calcutta University, which resulted in the students having to study more to compete in national or state-level examinations. Now, this problem has been removed. The government has already introduced the NCERT syllabus, giving the state's students an edge to compete in national-level examinations," he explained.
Saha also spoke about the development in Tripura’s education sector, highlighting that the state now has six private universities in addition to state-run MBB University and Tripura University, which is managed by the central government. He pointed out that students from other states are now coming to Tripura for higher education, showcasing the growing appeal of the state as an educational hub. "At present, the state has six private universities in addition to state government-run MBB University and Tripura University. Now, students from outside the state are coming to study in the northeastern state," he added.
In addition to the infrastructural improvements, Saha also emphasized his government’s commitment to promoting education for female students. He highlighted the distribution of bicycles to girls studying in Class IX, a move aimed at encouraging their participation in education. "To encourage female students, the education department has distributed 1.30 lakh bicycles among those studying in class IX in the last year. For a student, a bicycle means a lot because she can go to school easily," Saha said, underscoring the importance of removing barriers to education.
The CM's remarks reflect a broader effort by the Tripura government to strengthen the education system, improve student outcomes, and ensure equal opportunities for all.
