A Anato Swu
The Times Of India reported in August last year from Varanasi that, none of the students of class I, II and III had school text books. That, a whole month had gone by without anything being taught in schools and the students spent most of their time playing...etc . Many popular writers, thinkers, social and political leaders took the lead from the TOI report to express their dismay and anger over the negligence by the Authorities responsible for textbook distribution. Soon, the plight of students & schools in Varanasi was felt across the country, and the problem of non-distribution of textbooks was dealt with by the competent authorities and solved to some commendable extent.
It’s April 16th, 2016, Nagaland. Most of the students of class I,II, III, IV, V and even some higher standards in government schools attend their class with the hope of learning something, but without textbooks and with many teachers who seem incapable of imparting any quality education without the help of textbooks(?), these poor students return home empty-handed(sans textbooks...again!) and empty-headed( sans gaining any knowledge)! And many parents and guardians who are concerned about their ward’s future have begun to wonder if, at all, they should stop sending their children to school!
Therefore, let it be reported through the Country’s and our State’s most esteemed dailies that, compared with how the System works in the Land of Brave Nagas, the Varanasi’s Report should be swept into shadowy corner of lesser significance, and the report from Nagaland should be given its proper, wider coverage with highest ignoble honour by an unbiased media . Because, here in Nagaland, it’s not only the reporters or journalists performing their assignments while lamenting the lack of responsibility by the concerned authorities, but also we have genuine students and teachers, themselves reporting from their own deprived institutions, complaining about the apathetic indifference shown by the State Government to their plight...and to the future of students at stake.
The present situation in Govt. Educational Institutions across the State is quite disappointing and appalling, with majority of students going to school and returning home without having learned anything at all...and the students simply say, “Non-distribution/lack of textbooks” as the reason! And rightly so, considering how so many teachers in government schools are fond of putting onus of the blame on higher authorities ...even for their own laxity...or proxy-practices !
It is well-understood that, the teachers or school administration cannot be blamed alone when a student returns home empty-handed or empty-headed. So many other factors and issues remain to be considered, but this writer desires those factors to be left out from today’s writeup. And, for the sake of the affected students without textbooks, which this article is all about, let it be cited that, the RTE Forum’s National Stocktaking Draft Report, 2015 while suggesting a coordinated effort to improve distribution of textbooks in all schools, had clearly noted (quote) “textbooks are the basic tool of learning for students, without which no quality education can be provided”. But, the disappointed lot in Nagaland, or for that matter in any other states of India, need not be reminded of the importance of textbooks. For our ire has surpassed our understanding of textbooks being the basic tool of learning; or that, they have been published to cover the syllabus which a student is supposed to learn in one grade;or even that, they enable instructors and teachers to get more organized in their class lessons etc...
For we, the disappointed parents, guardians, teachers and concerned people knows that our knowledge about the importance of textbooks in a student’s or a teacher’s life bears no significance, so long as this “basic tool of learning” remains out of our student’s reach/possession! And most unfortunately, this very basic tool has not come into the hands of the students, as yet, even as the school academic year is entering towards conducting the 1st Quarterly examination! ...and, all the time, we talk about quality education!
The Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009, clearly states that, every child in a primary school should have text books available on time i.e. at the beginning of the academic year. But the reality is far from what the Act stipulates. And sadly, it the students who are the most affected with their future left to hang in balance due to ignorance and irresponsibility of the very authorities who should have been helping them in shaping up their future & career.
The consequences of textbooks not reaching the students on time are far too grave to be ignored; it impacts the quality of education and results in children dropping out of school in larger scale. And when the children forgo education because their elders forgot to do their part, then “curse befalls on that society”.
Let us be our children’s mouthpiece & take up this fight jointly for their sake and for the love of our society! Let us demand that quality education be provided to every student!
After all, it’s every child’s right!
