Alleging the authorities concerned for not taking up initiative on introduction of four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) in the state, Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) has cautioned to take up actions if the authority failed to take a firm decision within 10 days.
“If the state government fails to take appropriate decision in this regard within 10 days, DESAM will demand to close down DM College of Teachers' Education (DMCTE), State Council of Educational Research Training (SCERT), Hindi Teachers' Training College and directorate of higher and technical education,” the student body said in press release.
It said the Human Resource Development Ministry is planning to commence the programme this year. The initiative was taken up with an objective to bring development in education sector. As such, the government of India considers it as one of the big steps taken up during first year of the second term of Narendra Modi-led government. But, Manipur is not included among the list of states for the introduction of the programme, it added.
DESAM considers the implementation of the new course very significant in the state. From 2030, the courses of bachelor of education and diploma of elementary education will no longer validate all over India, it added.
As a student body, it has been urging the authority concerned such as the education minister, governor and the chief minister to discuss the matter in the cabinet. Even if education minister Th Radheshyam has assured several times those necessary steps will be taken up, the state is going to miss out from among the first batch of the programme in India, it stated.
The release said the Ministry of Human Resource Development notified the programme last year. Since then, the student body have been urging state government to identify government's Model Multidisciplinary College so that the state may include in the first batch of its introduction. However, the state government fails to do so, it added.
The irresponsibility of the concerned authority makes the student body to regard the present government as 'anti-India, anti-Modi, anti-quality education and anti-teacher", the release said.
It said there are many other loopholes in educational sector of the state. DMTCE is the only teachers' training college of the state government. But, National Council for Teacher Education has decided to scrap BEd course from the college this year. The council has taken up such steps for not adhering the establishment rules and regulations of educational training college, it added.
Hindi Teachers' Training College is also facing similar problem. The student body has intervened in this regard by urging the authority to fulfil the requirements, DESAM stated.
While appealing to fulfil all the basic requirements that necessitates in developing human resource of the state, DESAM said it is not the time to remain silent with the excuse of COVID-19 pandemic. The state government should take up all necessary action without much delay before the student body reacts in action, it added.
