Government to review communitisation policy

‘Village, school education committees misused powers’

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 15 (EMN): The power that has been given to the village education committee and the school education committee has been totally misused and therefore the department is trying to review the communitisation of school education.

K Tokugha Sukhalu, advisor to School Education, made the statement at the Nagaland Legislative Assembly session on Saturday. He stated that the enrolment in the government schools has gone down tremendously and there is no improvement in school infrastructure but schools are closing down as there are no students enrolled.

Proxy teachers are being encouraged and powers are being misused. However, the department is taking measures to ensure that all these cases are addressed, he asserted.

MLA Yitachu, opposition legislator, also commented that a set of schools are left with shortage of teachers, and said that the department should be in a position to rationalise the teaching staff in a proper way, reminding them about the appointment of 2741 teachers in 2019. “I want them to assure that by 2020, sufficient teachers are being placed out of this 2741 appointment that has taken place,” he asserted.

He suggested that the department should take care of teachers posted in  schools and inspite all these if there is no improvement in the school then “you need to proceed to the next step.” With the power in its hands the department should be in a position to regulate the government schools, provide sufficient teachers and then enrolment in schools will take place, he commented.

Sukhalu replied, “Wherever there is shortage of teacher, the matter is looked into provided students are there but if students are not enrolled, then it becomes very difficult to post teachers who have nothing to do.” He assured that they will not deprive government schools where students are admitted.

In a starred questioned asked by MLA Yitachu, the minister in charge Neiphiu Rio replied that the termination of Physical, Carpentry and Knitting instructors were due to non-provision of adequate funds with the change of funding pattern by the government of India, ministry of Human Resource Development after the merger of the SSA and the RMSA into the Samagra Shiksha, their services were discontinued.

Sukhalu added that the instructors were “part time instructors” and their appointment letter has been made very clear. He said that the SSA and the RMSA teachers who are given permanent appointments went on strike demanding release of their salary, and “the chief minister and Cabinet ministers made a decision to make up for their salaries so that the grievances expressed by them are taken care of.”