UP looks to Nagaland for innovations in its education system

• SCERT delegation completes five-day educational tour in Nagaland
• Valuable learnings gathered from April 26–30, 2025
• UP studies Nagaland model to replicate the system and elevate DIETs into Centres of Excellence

Lucknow : In a bid to accelerate education reforms, a delegation from State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Lucknow recently visited Nagaland to study its innovative models and community-driven practices—insights that could play a key role in transforming Uttar Pradesh’s DIETs into Centres of Excellence.

During the five-day educational tour to Nagaland held from April 26 to 30, 2025, the team observed impactful educational models, community engagement practices, and innovative approaches implemented across the state.

Led by SCERT Lucknow’s Joint Director, Dr. Pawan Sachan, the delegation included principals from CoE DIETs, SCERT officials, and representatives from Mantra4Change. The team not only visited institutions but also engaged at the grassroots level—interacting with schools and village communities to gain firsthand insight into the practical realities shaping Nagaland’s education system.

While this visit may not offer a magical solution, it certainly acts as a motivational leap forward, infusing new energy and perspective into UP’s educational reforms.

Crucially, the visit brings a renewed sense of direction and momentum to the ongoing reform initiatives in Uttar Pradesh. SCERT Lucknow is now analyzing these experiences to develop special training modules, strengthen research units, enhance community participation, and design digital monitoring dashboards. These changes will be introduced gradually through a carefully structured action plan rather than rushed implementation.

The delegation returned with valuable insights on community participation, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) models, and strong research and evaluation systems. Visits to institutions in Khonoma Heritage Village (India’s greenest village), Jakhama, and Chiechama underscored a powerful message: in Nagaland, education thrives as a shared community responsibility rather than merely a formal obligation.

Dr. Pawan Sachan, Joint Director of SCERT Lucknow and head of the delegation, stated, “We need to reinforce honesty, transparency, and community involvement in our DIETs. The lessons from Nagaland clearly show how small-scale innovations can lay the foundation for large-scale transformation. We are now working on a plan to strengthen our reform efforts in UP, guided by these learnings.”

The Nagaland tour is expected to benefit UP in several areas: First, in promoting research-based innovation, enabling DIETs to design solutions rooted in local contexts; second, in strengthening leadership and teacher training through specially curated modules; third, in empowering communities, with policies that encourage village-school collaboration; and fourth, in advancing Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) goals by enhancing reading, writing, and basic math skills in early grades.

This experience marks a significant milestone in UP’s education reform path—one that blends vision, collaboration, and innovation.