A Staff Reporter
Dimapur, March 22
The absence of mathematics teachers at Government High School in Diphupar, Dimapur, continues to haunt the students of the school. The Diphupar Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) has decided to launch a blanket blockade stretching from airport road to central jail junction should the Education department fail to resolve the issue by March 29.
If any eventuality takes place on the day, the student organization warned that the education department will be held responsible. This was informed by DNSU leaders to media persons during a press conference held at Lunchroom in Dimapur on Tuesday. They informed that although work orders for teacher were issued for temporary-deputation mathematics teacher, no action was taken by the School Education department. ‘If the orders were genuine enough, why were things taking time to materialize?’. They also warned the department ‘not to play politics’ with the career of the students. The students’ leaders also said that instead of providing mathematics teachers, which is said to be an urgent requirement for the school, the department transferred two other subject teachers from Zunheboto.
The issue was said to have been resolved on March 8 with assurance from the director and additional director of the directorate of School Education. The department was said to have assured that a temporary mathematics teacher from the government higher secondary school of Dimapur would be deputed until a regular teacher could be provided for Diphupar.
With the assurance from the department, the agitation scheduled for March 8 by DNSU was called off temporarily. With confidence in the department following the assurance, the school resumed classes, it was informed. However, when the temporary teacher did not turn up for days, the DNSU president Sakulemba Jamir took the matter to the deputy district education officer. Taking note of the issue, the principal of the government higher secondary school of Dimapur also forwarded a letter to the director of School Education on March 10 bringing to their notice the need for deputation of a temporary teacher to the government high school of Diphupar. However, the matter remained unresolved.
The deputy district education officer (DDEO) has expressed embarrassment at the entire issue and that the careers of the students had been taken for granted by the School Education department. The DDEO has made clear that she would not be held responsible if the Education department fails to take action as she has done all possible within her capacity to put things right.
The DNSU has urged the students to be ‘more aggressive on such issues and initiate action for the welfare of the students at large.’