The Co-Ordinating Committee on Disturbance Free Educational Zone on Tuesday condemned the lack of proper infrastructure in government schools despite the launch of School Fagathansi Mission by the state government. It demanded the authorities concerned to fill up the vacant posts of teachers lying in different government schools before July 16.
As a part of ongoing movement on creating a disturbance free education system in Manipur, a protest rally was staged at Kumbi Bazaar by the said Committee on Tuesday. It was joined by students of Kumbi Shandong Upper Primary School along with their parents.
Addressing media at the sidelines of the protest, secretary general of Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) M Somorjit Luwang said that the state government had launched the School Fagathansi Mission and also implemented the Right to Education Act 2009.
However, the authorities concerned failed to provide proper infrastructure, adequate teachers in most of the government schools. Even in government colleges also, similar problems are being faced, he said, adding that as education is the backbone of the society, the state government should give importance to the education sector.
He further said that as per report they had received, total required government teachers for graduate are 6,828 but at present it is managed by only 3,517 teachers, while for primary teachers, it is 8,364 but is being managed by 5,606 teachers and total required lecturers are 2,484 but existing number of lecturers are just 1943. The figures itself proves that there are many schools and colleges that do not have adequate numbers of teachers, the DESAM secy added.
He further said that even in Kumbi Shandang Upper Primary School where there are altogether 500 students, it is being managed by only seven teachers. However, along with the managing committee of the school and local people, nine teachers were hired to cope up with the situation. But in the long run, such problems can be solved only by having adequate teachers, he said.
The state government should fill up the vacant post of teachers at least in the school that has a high number of students, he said while appealing for solving the problem of insufficient number of teachers before the resumption of classes after summer vacation.
He said that the Coordinating Committee on Disturbance Free Educational Zone has been launching the movement of disturbance free education since 2008, covering both government and private schools.
In private school too, various forms of disturbances are being faced like demand for huge ransom, bomb attack, etc. But in the case of government schools, lack of proper facilities and infrastructure are the main reasons disturbing the students. The committee will fight for disturbance free education until and unless long term initiative is being taken up, he said.
