To a half glass of water, an optimist would say ‘The glass is half full’ while a pessimist would say ‘It is half empty’. An optimist is always hopeful and expects the best in all things and a pessimist always expects the worst to happen. The Director of Education (schools), Government of Manipur candidly remarked the above statement in the meeting of the ZEOs and Principals of Higher Secondary Schools at TG Hr Sec School on the 13th June (2007) last.

In that meeting the Director of Education (s) elaborately explained his idea about the proposed free coaching in Government schools and the above statements were made when he was answering a question raised by one of the attending Principal making her reservation about the policy of free coaching in Government schools.

The principal made her reservation and told the meeting about the inconveniences faced in the Government Schools and shortage of furniture and infrastructure and the difficulties that would come across if extra-burden of using the classroom and the furniture is put in the name of free-coaching.

The observation of the principal was not wrong looking at the present conditions of the Government schools. At the same time the initiative taken up by the head of department for providing free coaching is also a good step to impro-ve the standard and quality of the students in Government school.

The purpose of the meeting on the day was slightly off the track as the speakers, most of them heads of the institutions, dwelt their points mainly on the shortages in their respective school rather than giving their views and comments about the possibility and prospects of providing free coaching to the students reading in Government schools.

The free coaching will be centred in the zero miles of Imphal first on a trial basis. If it succeeds, then it should be implemented in the other districts of Manipur. For this preparations are undergoing at present. Probable lists of Govt lecturers/teachers have been framed to conduct the classes for different subjects. The building of Johnstone Hr Sec school will be utilised as coaching centre for boys and TG Higher Secondary School for girls from 6 am to 8 am daily on all working days.

What the Government really intends here is the improvement in the standard and quality of the students reading in the Government schools and at the same time to increase the quantity of students passing their annual examinations.

When the results of HSLC and HSSLC examinations each year show sliding graph in the performance of Government schools, the teachers’ community find their excuse in telling the world that all the good students are attracted towards private schools and parents of these good students also encourage this trend.

Yes, it may be true, but at the same time it should be taken as a blessing in disguise for the teachers of Government schools to use their services best to the available small number of students in the Government schools. The teachers may fail in producing a topper in the HSLC or HSSLC examinations, the school may fail to include itself in the list of good schools but if the overall pass percentage of the students in the school is improved, it is good work.

For a student, having got his matric standard by passing a mere pass mark is admitted in a Govt Hr Sec School, we can’t hope from him a place among the tops in the HSSLC examinations, the school may fail to include itself in the list of good schools but if the overall pass percentage of the students in the school is improved, it is a good work.

For a student, having got his matric standard by passing a mere pass mark is admitted in a Government Higher Secondary school. We can’t hope from him a place among the tops in the HSSLC examination. If the said student pass the Higher Secondary examination in a better result say in the 2nd or 1st Division, it is an achievement itself.

It is the duty of the teachers of the Government schools to improve the quality of the students available in Government school. This is what the Director of Education (schools) presents his view in the said meeting of the foregoing week.

Our so called, much talked quality education can only be brought by the teachers, not by the NGOs, not by the students organisation and not even by the Government itself. Teachers alone, who are sincere, devoted and dutiful, teachers who have taken his teaching profession, his duty as a way to God can only bring quality education. For such teachers, whether he is a Government teacher or a private tutor, there will be no dearth of students.

All is not lost in Government schools. There are so many qualified, good dutiful and sincere teachers in our Government schools at present. Go to any Government school, there you will not fail to see at least one or two teachers dedicating his or her time, energy and skill in the classrooms as well as in another duties of the school assigned to him. If these groups of teachers are grouped and utilised their services properly, there will be a great leap up in the performance of the Government schools. The need of the hour is to motivate these teachers as role models.

The Government begins to feel the heat and is planning to utilise the service of these good tea-chers in the special coaching class as a back up in the shortage of syllabus covering in an academic session. It will be a great help in improving the deteriorating standard of Government schools.

This is what the Government see and it is the initiative taken by the young and energetic Director of Education (schools) Government of Manipur. Everyone should welcome and support it. The DE(s) has the vision and vigour. This is what we call positive thought.

For all the time when we think ‘I don’t think I will be able to do that’ we have to get ourselves to say ‘I hope I will be able to do that’. The power of positive thoughts tells us when to take our hands off the hotplate of negative thoughts.

Free coaching in Government Schools is a right step in a right direction. The only need is the active participation of the students and the willingness of the parents. Because without students there will be no coaching class even if it is free of cost. Let us hope that students in Government schools will love it.