Imphal, July 05: Government school teachers whose students failed to clear the HSLC examination 2002 received a severe tongue lashing from School Education Minister Maniruddin Sheik during the morning session of the State Assembly today with the Minister categorically stating that they should quit their posts on moral grounds.

Replying to a calling attention motion from Opposition MLA O Joy on the academic breakdown of Government schools, Maniruddin said just around 7000 out of 35,000 students of Government schools passed the HSLC examination.

Stating that the pass percentage is just 12.2, he said the teachers of the 72 Government schools from which not a single student passed the examination should have already resigned on moral grounds.

Emphasizing the importance of education in the progress and prosperity of a society, the Minister admitted the recent result has awakened the Education Department.

He said he would have resigned if he was the Education Minister from last year.

Outlining the reason for the low pass percentage, he however said students of the Government schools get just around 180 class days in a year due to the numerous bandhs, strikes and other agitations.

Other reasons include the failure of the old teachers to adapt to the new syllabus, inability of the Government to send the teachers for refresher courses and fill up vacant posts of teachers and unhealthy relation between the students, teachers and the guardians, he said.

A committee headed by the Education (S) Director as the chairman has been constituted to find out the reasons and loopholes in the education system and the dip in the pass percentage of students of Government schools.

Several meetings of the committee have discussed the matter, he added.

Stating data collection for determining the number of teachers posted in the schools is already underway; he said the Govt is trying to form a transfer policy to check political hand in transfer of teachers in the interest of the student community.

Earlier moving the calling attention motion, Joy said though the Governor had mentioned improving education in the address, the failure of students of 72 Govt schools has painted a grim picture of the education scenario in the State.

He questioned what the ZEOs, School Inspectors and DIs were doing and what contribution the more than 18,000 Government school teachers were giving and why the Government has not punished them.

Pointing out the failures resulted from the politicizing of education, Joy urged the Education Minister not to go by the influence of officials.

He urged the Minister to probe the matter by a House committee and book the responsible officials.