Our Reporter
Dimapur, Oct. 29 (EMN): The Government Primary School (GPS) Khongka, the only government school in Khongka village, has only three staff including one teacher, making it impossible to impart quality education to students, said the Khongka Students’ Union (KSU).
It requested the department of School Education (DoSE) to appoint adequate number of teachers to the school within 15 days, failing which, it said, will be forced to take further democratic steps.
The president of KSU, Thrunso told Eastern Mirror that the union will hold a meeting with the village council and discuss the steps to be taken, while lamenting indifferent attitude despite writing to the School Education department and approaching the directorate and the commissioner to take necessary steps.
Thrunso informed this newspaper over the phone that the GPS at Khongka, which has around 108 students, is functioning with just one teacher for classes 1 to 5, besides a Hindi teacher and a person in-charge of the school.
Despite repeated appeals to the government, it has failed to depute more teachers, he lamented, adding that since 1984, there has been only one teacher in the school, which is situated about 250 km away from Kiphire district headquarters.
‘In 2017, there were three teachers but again this year (2022), one teacher got transferred and no new teacher has been posted in the school,’ he said.
A press statement from the KSU also stated: “The academic session 2022 began with three teachers but in the middle of the year, (two) teachers have been transferred without any reliever or replacement, citing different reasons best known to the department; meanwhile, the department’s reason on transfer of teacher was rationalisation.”
It said the school, which was awarded by the SDEO Pungro in 2021 for its outstanding performance, seems to be neglected because of its proximity to the international border of India and Myanmar.
‘In spite of so much effort and initiative taken by Village Council, VEC and students’ union of the village to take the school forward, it is very sad to mention that the department of School Education is neglecting the school in many ways, apart from infrastructural development, particularly teachers’ posting and transfer. It is so sad to see department of School Education not willing to listen to the hue and cry of public and students in particular,’ it read.
The student body asked if the department has a policy to run school in far-flung areas with just one teacher or the students in far areas are less important than those in towns. Claiming that there are schools in towns with excess teachers, it said all hope for the future generation in rural areas will be lost if the trend continues as sufficient teachers is necessary to impart quality education.