Bit early to gloat over School Fagathanshi Mission
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: February 25, 2023 -

TAKING into account of the fact that pass percentage of government school students in competitive examinations is far from being satisfactory, it is hard to believe that some states are copying the School Fagathanshi Mission launched by the government of Manipur, as had been stated by Education minister Th Basanta Kumar while responding to queries raised by opposition MLAs in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

Entrusted to prevent further degeneration of the government schools and reinvigorate them at par with the privately run educational institutions whose domination in the state needs no reminding, it is understandable that minister Basanta would be eager to see dramatic rise of the government schools under the School Fagathanshi Mission or any other projects.

To an extent, there seems to be some substance in the minister's claim that Rajasthan and Jharkhand are adopting policies similar to the mission as these states do not figure among the destinations that thousands of Manipuri youngsters leave home every year in pursuit of quality education.

However, clubbing Delhi with Rajasthan and Jharkhand in following the Manipur model of education vis-a-vis the Mission is hard to digest for it is on record that Delhi schools are among the best in the country and given a chance Manipuri parents wouldn't ponder over in despatching their children to study in Delhi from the primary level to the higher studies.

Thus, it is incomprehensible that the Delhi government would be interested in simulating the Mission as had been claimed by the minister when the Congress trio expressed scepticism on success of the mission.

Nevertheless, the government of Manipur should pursue the mission, which the minister said was launched under the PM SHRI programme, to address shortage of requisite infrastructures and solve the issue of teachers' inadequacy for government schools are in desperate need of the establishment's constant support in all spheres.

As per the report placed in the assembly, infrastructure development programmes had been implemented in 120 schools with 10,600 benches distributed, 106 new classrooms constructed and 687 classrooms renovated till date since the launch of the Mission.

These figures testify that the government schools were, literally, struggling for survival against the rapid sprouting of private schools in all parts of the state.

About a decade back, private schools were mainly confined in Imphal areas and headquarters of some outlying districts but at the juncture private schools are thriving even in small towns as parents aren't impressed with the government institutions when it comes to shaping the future of their kids.

Moreover, failure to entice students and parents even after amalgamation of three government high schools within Thangmeiband assembly constituency some years back and many government schools in the twin capital districts existing merely for namesake only clearly indicates that private schools are the favourites for many.

Therefore, it is imperative for the government to monitor work ethics of the teachers as diligent discharge of duty, and not spending crores of rupees in upgrading aesthetic aspect of government schools, which would help reap fruit of the Mission.

In case the teachers do not realise their bounden duty then it's obvious that the government schools would only serve as guarantor of regular salary and the mission to thicken the bank balance of contractors.

The Mission has brought notable changes in terms of ensuring basic infrastructures, but till the time government school students excel in examinations writing success tale would sound and seem presumptuous.