Ao Students' Conference flags teacher shortage in Langpangkong schools

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• AKM officials after inspecting Longrimendang Ao Government School under the Langpangkong range of Mokokchung district on May 21.

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• CHANGTONGYA — The Ao Students' Conference (AKM) highlighted shortages of teachers and inadequate educational facilities in government schools across the Langpangkong range following their fourth phase of inspections conducted under the Sub-Divisional Education Officer (SDEO), Changtongya.
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• The inspections, conducted from May 19 to the 23rd, covered 21 schools and revealed systemic issues threatening the quality of education in rural areas.
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• In a press release issued on Wednesday, appended by AKM president Lanutoshi Aier and education secretary Lanulemba Longchar, grave concern was expressed over the findings.
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• “All inspected schools are critically short of teachers, with some facing transfers without replacements and others lacking sufficient classrooms, resulting in ineffective teaching and learning,” the statement noted.
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• The lack of staff has led to frequent class cancellations, particularly when teachers attend training, forcing some students to abandon their education, AKM claimed.

AKM officials after inspecting GPS Aopenzu under the Langpangkong range of Mokokchung district on May 21.

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• AKM highlighted specific cases, including Government Primary School (GPS) Luyimlenden (Kangtsungyimsen), which has functioned with only two teachers for six classrooms since 2015, despite repeated requests for additional staff from the School Management and Development Committee (SMDC) and village council, all of which have gone unanswered.
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• Government High School (GHS) Kangtsung has had no Mathematics teacher since 2021 and no Hindi teacher since 2023, while Government Middle School (GMS) Tuli-A has lacked an English teacher since 2023. GPS Aopenzu, established with just three classrooms, has had only three teachers since 2022, severely hampering education delivery.
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• The AKM also flagged the failure to replace retired teachers in nearly all inspected schools, exacerbating the staffing crisis.
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• The AKM has appealed for urgent intervention to ensure equal educational opportunities in rural schools, demanding the deployment of additional teachers to improve teacher-to-classroom ratios and the provision of properly equipped classrooms.
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• “A comprehensive inspection of all schools is needed to assess the full extent of the teacher shortage and initiate corrective measures promptly,” the release stated. Also, the AKM announced plans to release comprehensive data once all schools are inspected, promising to initiate necessary actions to address the issues.
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• “The authorities must act swiftly to provide quality education to our rural students,” Aier urged, emphasising the broader implications for the region’s future.