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The ethnic conflict that erupted between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities more than a year ago has not only cut short many precious lives, destroyed unaccountable property and displaced thousands of innocent people, but has also disrupted the education of thousands of children belonging to both warring communities. Some schools were forced to shut down following the destruction of infrastructure by mobs, while others in the conflict zone took months to resume regular classes. It affected the learning process of thousands of children and perhaps their careers, especially those from poor families and those in relief camps. Amid this mayhem, the results of the Class 12 examination 2024 conducted by the Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur (COHSEM) came as a ray of hope, recording an overall pass percentage of 97.63 per cent, which is said to be the highest in the history of COHSEM. It was 88.68 per cent last year. Another encouraging trend is the performance of government schools in the state, which recorded a 95.49 per cent pass percentage compared to 98.18 per cent by private schools. The impressive performance of students in the HSSLC exams amid the ongoing turmoil in the state is welcoming and heartening. The educational institutions and students showed remarkable resilience during these difficult times, which is laudable and worth emulating. However, this doesn’t mean no damage has been done to the learning process of children.
The unprecedented crisis that began on May 3 last year forced hundreds of students to change schools in the middle of the academic year. Many students may have dropped out of school as a result, while others struggled to adjust to their new surroundings. The more vulnerable are certainly those in relief camps, children of displaced families and the have-nots. So, it will be costly to rest on the results of the HSSLC exam. This is not a perceived notion but a reality. The Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights has expressed serious concern over reports of certain organisations and individuals attempting to lure parents of internally displaced children with false promises of free education and accommodation outside the state. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also highlighted the impact of the ethnic conflict on children from the two warring communities. This is a serious issue that the state government can’t afford to ignore. The government has a lot of home work to do to ensure that children’s futures are not affected. A comprehensive survey on the dropout rate among school-going children from the affected communities should be conducted to effectively address the issue. Measures should be taken to bring such students back to school and also ensure that children in relief camps receive quality education. Children should not be made to bear the brunt of this futile and avoidable ethnic conflict.