Hill Districts Recognised Private Schools’ Association, Manipur (HIDIPSAM) voices grievances

Our Correspondent IMPHAL, January 22 The Hill Districts Recognised Private Schools’ Association, Manipur (HIDIPSAM) has submitted a 12-point charter of demands to the chairman of Board of Secondary Education, Manipur (BOSEM). Besides urging to open a separate counter for the Hills and valley for the convenient of the Hill schools who are coming from the far flung areas, HIDIPSAM’s President Benjamin Tao and its Secretary Seikhojam Kipgen signed memorandum has demanded a separate last date for hill and valley for enrolment, form fill-up, etc to ease the burden of hill area school rush for last date. It also demanded to revoke the ban on the transfer of students form one institution to another as it creates more harm than good to the students’ community and the parents. The memorandum said deputing of ‘Flying Squads’ which is made compulsory during every exam, is an artificial burden on the art of the Board officials. If at all there is an unavoidable requirement to send ‘Flying Squads’, personnel should also be drawn from the Hill districts too. “Therefore, the association construed this act of ‘flying squads’ as total mistrust to the Private Centre Committees which are being set up according to the Board itself.” It added. For the past twenty years or more the BOSEM have never conducted any kind of workshop/Seminars for the recognised schools Principals/Headmasters for the betterment of the students in general and schools Proprietors/Principals in particular. “Therefore, a yearly workshop/ seminar for school principals/Headmasters under the board should be conducted to keep the principals abreast of any policy change and update on the new developments rather than being insulted by a clerk/office assistants and imposing a huge fine to the schools as negligence or ate submission of forms,” the memorandum felt. Stating that the system of allowing ‘Private’ candidates (Open Schooling system) by BOSEM for HSLC exam lacks any rationale as it threatened the accountability of recognised schools, BOSEM has been urged to issue all certificates to the respective schools at the earliest date after the result is declared. Regarding the text books supply, it urged the board to make sure that text books are made available in advance before the new session begins every year the availability of such books posed a great difficulty for the students as well as to the schools. Recent formation of HSLC Private Centre is totally against the existence of Private Recognised schools in Manipur, it asked the Board to re-consider the order so that Examination committee could also be headed by private school principals as many of them are more qualified and experienced than the Government teachers.