Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 24 (EMN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Monday drew the attention of the advisor to School Education KT Sukhalu to what it stated were discrepancies in government schools. The NSF has demanded corrective measures or action by October 24. The students’ organisation submitted a representation addressed to the legislator on Monday.
Addressing a press conference NSF president Kesosul Christopher Ltu said that the anomalies were detected by the NSF following a visit to educational institutions in various districts during different occasions.
The main issues raised by the NSF include implementation of the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme; and issues concerning school uniforms, infrastructure; composite schools and implementation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act of 2003 (Copta).
MDM scheme: During the visit in 2017, the federation said to have noted the failure in the implementation of the scheme; students were deprived of their benefits. Ltu said that the issue was highlighted to the chief minister, which was then taken to the State Vigilance Commission for investigation into irregularities and mismanagement. He lamented that despite a lapse of one academic session, the irregularities were still taking place this year.
“For the academic year 2018, most of the schools were not provided MDM and many schools were supplied with only ‘dal’ (dried, split pulses) and cooking cost without supply of any other commodities,” the student leader pointed out. It compelled the school managements to sell afew bags of ‘dal’ to purchase rice and other commodities to provide meal to the students. It was learnt that the NSF had written to the State Vigilance Commission on August 21 last to expedite the investigation process, and to produce the report by 30 days. It also asked the commission to investigate discrepancies in MDM for the year 2017 and 2018, advocating that strict and effective disciplinary measure should be initiated against offenders in the implementing agencies.
With the passage of the 30-day mark, the NSF had a meeting with the Vigilance department officials, wherein, the latter was stated to have proposed for three months’ time to complete the process. Towards this, Ltu said the NSF will take a call only after consultation with its federating units.
Free uniforms: The NSF has said that there was shortage and delay in supply of the school uniforms including trousers, skirt and shirts. “Most of the schools were issued with only sweater and a pair of socks, all of which were of the same size, and could not fit even students from the lower primary classes,” the federation lamented.
In several schools, Ltu said, students were given just cloth materials of ‘compromised quality’, and without stitching cost. “It is imperative to mention that the cloth materials supplied were of the lowest quality,” he said.
The NSF had written to the chief secretary on September 4 regarding the issue of school uniforms, and sought measures from the government within 15 days. Interestingly, the department of School Education was said to have replied to the letter on September 24, the day the NSF submitted its representation to the legislator in-charge of the department. The department simply stated that ‘the government has decided to refer the matter to the State Vigilance Commission for necessary action’.
The student body also raised the issue of deteriorating infrastructure of most of the government schools. It highlighted that most of the classrooms and staff rooms in the government schools were in dilapidated conditions, and the schools, since their inception, have not received any funds for repair and renovation. Some of the schools were built in 1940s and were still running under the same structure, Ltu maintained.
The organisation also expressed concern that it was found through records from the government schools that no official inspection were being undertaken by the department, respective district education officers (DEO) and sub-divisional education officers (SDEO).
“This negligence of duty from the government officials is one of the factors mainly responsible for the untold hardships being faced by the schools and students and for low performance of students in their academics,” the NSF stated in its representation. Stating that there was a gap between the schools and the department, NSF leaders were of the view that instead of just reviewing the performance of government schools in HSLC, department and government need to review and assess the schools and students by carrying out physical visitation and verification.
The federation also pointed out that the government has initiated to merge few schools together under one administration in the form of ‘composite school.’ However, with the lack of infrastructure in almost all the government schools, it felt this exercise will not serve its purpose as intended without upgradation of the present infrastructures.
Meanwhile, reminding that the Copta (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) being enacted and enforced, the NSF maintained it was imperative to put it in order. It informed that many shops within the given perimeters were detected selling banned tobacco products and demanded that the respective district administration should strictly monitor the strict enforcement of the act.
The student body asked the advisor for School Education to initiate action, and inform about it within 30 days. The NSF leader asserted that the affected party being the students, they would have to step out and show their resentment in a democratic way.
