50 years of apathy: School with 3 teachers set for ‘golden’ jubilee

Atono Tsukrü
Kohima, Dec. 4 (EMN): Amid apathy and negligence by the department of School Education and subsequent state governments, the government primary school (GPS) of Peducha under Kiruphema village jurisdiction, located in Sechü Zubza of Kohima district, is set to celebrate 50 years of existence.
The ‘jubilee celebration’ with the theme ‘towards new horizon’ is scheduled for Dec. 5 with Wonthongo Tsopoe, director of School Education, as chief guest of the event at the school’s premises.
Even after 50 years since the school was established in 1967 and managed by the department of education, the GPS with classes-A to IV has only three teachers.
Talking to Eastern Mirror on the eve of the celebrations, an exasperated Kevichülie Dahou, teacher-in-charge of said school said, ‘Once upon a time there were six teachers. However after their retirements no teachers were redeployed and we are facing untold hardships.’
Although the current set of teachers is professionally qualified, one of them said they had been facing hardships due to acute shortage of teachers; they have to conduct two classes each to complete the courses in time.
When queried if the school’s authority had approached the department for more teachers, Dahou said ‘numerous appeals by the school’s authority, village education committee and students’ union have fallen on deaf ears.
What is more: The school’s building is said to be dilapidated even though it was ‘temporarily repaired’ by the villagers for the celebration of its 50th anniversary. The school has six classrooms for instructional purposes. They are said to be in need of immediate repair.

Uniforms arrive when academic session almost over
According to Dahou, ‘Nothing is going in the right direction.’ To illustrate the teachers’ exasperation, he cited the case of school uniforms for students which were supposed to reach the school before the start of the academic session. It arrived only recently, when the school session was almost over. He informed that the person in charge of the mid-day meals in the school had been left unpaid for the past two years. Her salary is INR 9000 per month.
‘As she has not been paid for two years, our conscience does not allow us to call her to perform her duty. However, we request for her service on some important occasions only,’ Dahou said.

A fairytale book equals a ‘library’
Adding to the exasperation of the teachers, the department is said to have donated four-five fairytale books asking the school to set up a library when the school does not have room or space to open one. ‘How can we set up a library with four or five books? Is this some kind of joke?’ asked a frustrated Dahou.
Funds, he said, are also very limited. Other than the maintenance fund of INR 5000 yearly, the school is not getting any fund, or grant or schemes, according to Dahou.
However, he appreciated the village council of Peducha for deciding to bear all the expenses of the proposed anniversary celebrations.
The department authorities are not unaware of the problems plaguing the school, according to the teachers. Another teacher said: “There is no action except assurances after assurances to look into our problems.”
A resident of the village was sour in his observation: ‘At least the school has a playground, barbed-wire fencing, drinking-water facility sourced from the tap and separate toilet for boys and girls.’
Despite the obstacles, the teachers continue to give their best for the students. At present, the GPS has an enrolment of 92 students. As one of the villagers pointed out, in the face of apathy from the authorities it is the students who bear the consequences while the teachers get the blame.