Dimapur, March 19 (EMN): The Eastern Nagaland College Students’ Union (ENCSU) has listed a considerable number of problems which, the union strongly suggests, are proving to be hurdles in the way of quality education in the eastern regions of the state.
The ENCSU informed to have undertaken an “education tour” recently, a press release from the organisation stated on Sunday. “The touring team had detected numbers of anomalies after interaction with the college authority and the students’ council of all the 4 government colleges of Tuensang (Sao Chang College), Longleng (Yingli College), Mon (Wangkhao College) and Kiphire (Zijasi Presidency College),” the press release informed.
Listing out the “anomalies,” the ENCSU said that out of four colleges, two were functioning without principals ‘for many years.’ Yingli College has been without a principal for more than two years after the retirement of the previous principal, the union stated. Likewise, Wangkhao College is also without a principal for nearly a year after the previous principal was transferred. The ENCSU has asked the government to appoint principals for the two colleges.
Also, the union deplored at the infrastructure of the colleges: Zijasi Presidency College of Kiphire allegedly “sit for their classes in a hut house.” The union also said to have found that even in the newly constructed building, there was no water supply and electrification was yet to be.
Likewise, students of Sao Chang College in Tuensang attend classes “with safeguard proof for life safety.” The college’s building which was build in 1970s and “abandoned by the government” is allegedly on the verge of collapse.
“The building can’t support much and stand strongly since even the beam is cracked and the roof pulling down by its own. The building will collapse anytime soon and once it collapses, there will be many casualties, if the government remains so adamant even after the life of students and staffs are in threat,” the ENCSU asserted. “Since the college was communalized by the government in 20016, the Yingli College has not sanction any fund for the building of construction by the government of Nagaland.”
As for Wangkhao College in Mon, the ENCSU said it had no auditorium or a hall. “The college had to organize all the events either in open space or sophisticated class room,” the union stated.
Further, the statement alleged that University Grants Commission-sponsored projects have had “to be stranded because of failure of government of Nagaland to release state share.” The ENCSU has asked the government ‘to justify’ why the state was “so adamant to release the state share that keep all developmental project under UGC paralyzed?”
Regarding teaching faculty, the union has claimed that “no colleges” have been provided with adequate facilities. “The union also would like to know as in what intention all the regular teachers from colleges of eastern Nagaland are being attached in Kohima and Dimapur colleges and at directorate and send all the contract appointees to eastern Nagaland?”
The union has appealed to the government of Nagaland and the Higher Education department to create “regular posts rather than appointing uncountable numbers of teachers in contract basis which is creating lot of confusion and inconveniences to the students and other regular teachers.”
Citing an instance, the ENCSU alleged that the chemistry department of Sao Chang College was “running by a single teacher” and that he alone cannot complete the course on time “which compels the students to sit for an exam without completing the course.” The laboratory is “again running without the lab assistants. Sao Chang College has four labs but without lab assistants and water facilities,” the union explained.
Further, the press release stated, “no college has so far providing hostel facilities despite of completing a building.”
The college authority cannot run “the hostel” because of “non appointment of grade IV staff” by the government and “non availability of utensils” and infrastructure. “The hostel building has become just another dating spot for young boys and girls. Therefore, the union appeals the government to appoint the grade IV staffs and provide all the facilities and function the hostel by next semester,” the group stated. Regarding transportation, the ENCSU alleged that students have to walk to classes “for more than 5 Kms due to the shortage of buses.” Every first class of the day “has to miss by many students because they can’t reach the college on time despite of their effort,” the union explained.
Further, the organisation said there was need for library facilities. “There is no librarian appointed so far by the government in Sao Chang College and Wangkhao College despite of several appeals made by the college authority,” the union stated. “The present condition of the library is also in pathetic (condition),” it lamented, and that “no latest updated books are available thus causing untold problems to the students as well as to the teachers for doing assignment and project and in providing study materials.”
The ENCSU has appealed to the government and the department of Higher Education to extend all possibly support to colleges of the region by upgrading the libraries and “other basic necessary.” “The Eastern Nagaland College Students’ Union will submit a representation to the government with all the fact and figures that are collected during the tour and the union will fight until the justice is done to the students’ community by the government and the concerned department,” the press release added.
