Shift in academic calendar, MBSE results without division, TET qualified teachers: Mizoram govt announces overhaul in education

“We received opinions from 231 organisations, and teachers and parents, with 92.2 per cent of them having opted for the January-December cycle, while 6.5 per cent wanted to continue with the existing calendar, and 1.3 per cent were in favour of a separate calendar for the elementary section,” Vanlalthlana told reporters here.

January-December cycle is most suited

Education Minister Vanlalthlana said the state government believes the January–December academic cycle is best suited to Mizoram, given its climate, topography, and lifestyle. He added that the government is considering introducing school vacations during the rainy season to safeguard students, as landslides and rockfalls are common during the monsoon.

The minister also announced that the practice of common MBSE school uniforms across government schools, introduced under the previous Mizo National Front (MNF) administration, will be discontinued from the next academic session.

“The move is not politically motivated but due to requests from several schools and teachers’ organisations that pointed out several lapses,” he said. School uniforms will be at the discretion of respective schools, he said.

MBSE results without distinction, division or ranks

In a major shift aimed at improving the quality of education, the Mizoram Board of School Education (MBSE) will no longer award distinctions, divisions, or ranks in the results of Classes 10 and 12.

Education Minister Vanlalthlana announced the decision on Tuesday, stating that the move is intended to discourage unhealthy competition among students and ensure that learning is not reduced to chasing higher percentages. “The focus should be on quality education rather than competing for ranks,” he said.

MBSE chairman J. H. Zoremthanga, who was present at the press conference, explained that the policy change is designed to move away from rote learning and promote competency-based education. He noted that many students in Mizoram struggle with national-level competitive exams because the prevailing “learn-by-heart” system leaves them with limited understanding of their subjects.

Introduce Hindi-speaking day in schools

The Mizoram government has announced that all schools in the state will observe a dedicated Hindi-speaking day once a month to promote proficiency in the language.

School Education Minister Vanlalthlana said that the initiative will be implemented under the supervision of the state’s education department. On the designated day, both students and teachers will be encouraged to converse in Hindi.

“Given the importance of spoken Hindi, the government will notify Hindi-speaking days for all schools. Hindi will be used during school recesses once a month,” Vanlalthlana said, adding that the spoken Hindi books will be prepared by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

The Education Minister said that the government will also introduce a home language day in all English medium schools to promote and preserve local languages. He said that students in English medium schools will be allowed to speak or communicate in their home languages (mother tongues) during school recesses once a week.

TET-qualified teachers only

Vanlalthlana further said the government will take steps to ensure that all teachers employed under the state government, excluding those who have less than five years for retirement, clear the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) within two years from the issuance of the order in line with the Supreme Court ruling.

(with inputs from PTI)