Science Education in North-East India: A Study of Mizoram

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This book is mainly focused on the history and development of science education in Mizoram, one of the states in the north east part of India. The involvement of the state, the status of science education institutions at various levels of formal education, the status and condition of their laboratories, the teachers teaching science education at different levels and a number of interesting facts about science education within the state are covered by this book.

Lynda Zohmingliani is Assistant Professor in the Department of Education in Mizoram University. She served as a science teacher for seven years at secondary level before she joined the University as a faculty.

Science Education was a late starter in Mizoram, mainly because formal education itself made a late entrance in this state when compared to other states of the country. A small province within the state of Assam which became a union territory only in the year 1972 and a full-fledged state in the year 1986, this area was relatively isolated from the rest of the country. In fact the first primary school was initiated by Christian missionaries only in the year 1894, a time when a number of primary schools and other higher study centres were thriving in the rest of India. There were only two secondary schools at the time of independence in this state.

Considering the late entrance made by formal education within this small state, growth has been massive and according to the 2011 census of India, the young state was listed third in the Indian states ranking by literacy rate. This is no small feat considering that this tiny state is located in the isolated part of the north east India where communication is still much behind the rest of India. But this is not how the story should end. Education entails complete freedom, and this includes financial freedom. Although literacy in itself is a huge step, if the individual is forever dependent on others, education has not really done much.

Looking at the world today, development in science is immense and most of the professions are science based. Therefore, in order to be a part of this developmental race, a country needs a healthy supply of human resource that can take on the challenge with the right mental and academic preparedness. Mizoram, being the third state in terms of literacy, has a duty to the country to supply it with the much needed human resource capable of with the best.

In order to achieve the desired results, various agencies need to work together. The government, the institutions, teachers, weekly time tables and even science laboratories (as science is practical in nature) are all involved in the achievement of a sound science education.

**Contents and Sample Pages**