Rejoinder to “Discrepancy in Distribution of RMSA Teachers in the State”

This rejoinder is necessitated due to publication of an article with faulty statistics about GHS, Khuza authored by one so called writer named Nuthizolu , PR Hill, Kohima under the caption “Discrepancy in Distribution of RMSA Teachers in The State” which appeared in the local dailies on 12th August, 2016. As per the article, the writer is a lady and is stressing on some serious issue which GHS, Khuza is enjoying abnormally. Therefore, on behalf of the School Management & Development Committee, Govt High School, Khuza we had to occupy some space here, so as to rectify the misconception that might have been created in the minds of the intellectuals alike by that article. Yes, the 2016 enrollment for Cl-9 & 10 of Government High School, Khuza under EAC Khuza Hq. Phek is nil but, the reason should not be beyond the comprehension of such a person who is well versed with the educational set of the School. By the time of its up gradation to a High School on 16th Dec, 2011, there were two Graduate Teachers of state cadre viz. Math & General, one Subject Teacher/ Instructor each for Tenyidie, Hindi, Carpentry, Knitting, Physical Education, Drawing and one Graduate Teacher (General) got posted through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) recruitment in March 2013. That makes up to 9(nine) teaching staffs but all teaching staffs for elementary section cannot be SSA appointees because SSA appointments are made only in 2010 and 2013 to teach scholastic subjects and 80% of our teaching staffs have been serving for 15 years or more with some on the verge of retirement. Here, we want to enlighten her with the working system of government schools of our state, for she had portrayed different subjects and the class standards that exist into a composite whole. The government of the day’s policy is not only about reading and writing but also to equip the students with technical skills. Those technical subjects are categorized as co-scholastic subjects whose instructors may not necessarily be a graduate, but must have an expertise to teach their respective subject matter. They are: carpentry, knitting, physical education and drawing. The other category is called scholastic subjects and they are Math, Science, Social Sciences, Grammar, English Hindi, Tenyidie. In our case, we had a full strength of technical staffs but dearth of teachers to cover the scholastic subjects. When the Subject Teacher for Math, Tenyidie and Hindi deals with their respective subject matter, each one having four classrooms to cover i.e. from Class 5 -8, the two General Graduate Teachers remaining will have to share the remaining, including General Knowledge which is altogether, 20(Twenty) subjects. Then, the first batch of cl-9 was admitted in 2013, the 2nd batch the next year and it goes on for three consecutive years. Will it make sense when students are enrolled just for the sake of showing data and occupying the classroom or should we ignore the lower classes and emphasize only onto those appearing NBSE Board exam? The answer has to be pragmatic because, the Elementary Section itself have 24(twenty four) scholastic subjects as stated, to be shared by 3(three) Graduate Teachers and so, the School Management authorities on realizing that spoiling a student’s career is more disastrous than having a fewer enrollment of the School, had anticipated for the appointments of RMSA at the right time for quite long, confused whether to enroll the new batch or not to do so, but it was a bit late. Our outgoing students are already resuming their classes in their new schools by the time; the joining reports of the new appointees reached the School. An arithmetic genius is displayed when TSR 14:35 was exemplified and many readers might have agreed with that. Does it mean 14(fourteen) teachers to teach 35(thirty) students is not a normal practice? If so then, that’s a wrong concept. Teacher appointments are made according to the availability of the subject and not the other way round and GHS, Khuza must surely be amongst the schools in the state having the least no. of teaching staffs for, the Subject Teacher’s post against English and Science for Elementary Section is still vacant. Is it illegal for a RMSA appointee to assist in teaching Elementary Section in a school where children are deprived of quality education owing to acute shortage of teachers? Elementary stage is as important as the secondary stage for it will surely determine the rapid or stagnant progress at the secondary level. Yes, it’s legal for anybody to argue about the rights having legal sanctity, but that argument should not be a mockery to ones commitment. It’s also interesting to come across such a statement depicting the wrong data about the school at a time when there is a tussle between The School Management & Development Committee and a certain RMSA appointee over the claim of the later having the right to place his proxy, by virtue of the enrollment for Secondary section against which the appointment being made is nil and the stance of the Committee in applying equal yardstick with ‘no pay for no work’ regardless of their nature of appointment. Now, it’s not difficult to comprehend the motive and the authenticity of the writer who is none other than our own comrade, but Dear, as cited above, equal yardstick had to be maintained because the situation for the 2nd half of the year is more complicated owing to the intervention from the District Administration and the order of the Hon’ble Education Minister of the State to reform the faulty system of education.

Nukusa Lohe Chairman, SMDC Govt, High School, Khuza; Vecihu Rhakho VEC Chairman, Khuza