EMN
Dimapur, May 18
Disgraced department, the department of School Education, is in the news again, and for the wrong reasons yet again: It will soon be facing agitations from the civil society of Phek town for reasons of alleged negligence to the government higher secondary school of Phek. Public and students’ organizations issued statements on Monday warning of own course of action if the department continues to leave long pending problems being ace by the secondary school unaddressed.
The Phek Town Chakhesang Students’ Union and the Phek Area Public Organization issued separate statements on May 18 alleging negligence and apathy to frequent appeals to redress shortage of teachers, classrooms and accommodation for which the school has had to deny admissions to students for year 2015.
The Chakhesang students expressed strong resentment at the authorities of the School Education department for ‘turning a deaf ear’ to several presentations they submitted in regard to the shortage of teachers at government higher secondary school of Phek.
“The GHSS Phek is the only higher secondary school in Phek town is dearth of teachers and classrooms at this juncture with the increasing number of students this year. It is sad to mention that, this year hundreds of students who are from economically weak parents trying to seek admission at GHSS Phek will have to stop their studies after passing class X as their parents could not able to afford to send their children for education beyond Phek town,” the union stated in its press release.
In this connection, the union had convened an emergency meeting with civil organizations of the town and deliberated on the issue of shortage of teachers and classrooms. They have decided to pursue an own course of action if the School Education department fails to redress the grievances of the students at the earliest.
“The union will never hesitate to take its own course of action and shall not be held responsible for any untoward incidents arises out of this issue to reserve the educational rights of the students,” the union added.
In a separate press release, the Phek Area Public Organization has asked the director of School Education to “seriously take note over the admission woes of 2015 class eleven batch facing by the people of Phek town and its surrounding villages”.
The organization said that over 350 students cleared the recent High School Leaving Certificate board examinations. They are ‘all rushing to the lone government higher secondary except a few parent who can manage to send their meritorious wards outside the district’.
“Now, the principal and the school managing board of government higher secondary school of Phek are in a dilemma like over whom to admit or denied when all who have applied for admission are from the locality as the school can hardly admit 150-240 students due to shortage of teaching staffs,” the organization stated in its press release.
The press release state din on good length: “What has worried the administration of the institution is those group of students who could not merit in the entrance test within 200 range will have no other option but to stop further study. This factual situation has pained the institutional authority and the general public as well except the wise administration of department alone can bail out hue and cry of the concern parents either in the form of providing more teaching staffs to the present GHSS Phek at the earliest or upgrade the government school of Phek town to that of government higher secondary school to accommodate the remaining group of students”.
