Taking the challenge
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: February 13, 2013 -
With lack of basic infrastructures including proper building and class rooms, dereliction of duty on the part of the teachers and the apathetic attitude of successive governments towards administration of its schools have become the hallmark of existing education system in Manipur, to talk of outdoing the private schools in 3 years' time in terms of ensuring quality education to the students, is indeed a very big challenge.
Nevertheless, it is good to hear, for a change, when Education Minister Moirangthem Okendro announced that the State Government has taken the challenge of bringing quality education in Manipur through Government schools and surpass the performance of private schools in 2 to 3 years time.
The Minister made the announcement while inaugurating two residential schools set up under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in accordance to the guidelines of Right to Education Act at different parts of Bishnupur district on February 11, 2013.
It's true that prior to emergence of private schools in Manipur, it is the Government schools which were ruling the roost in education and producing student toppers, most of whom went on to join Government service or become successful people in different walks of life.
But today, the first thing that comes to the mind of most parents, regardless of whether they are rich or poor, when it comes to sending their children to schools for formal education, is the picture of private schools and the Government schools are nowhere near, even the frame of the picture.
How this preference for private schools and aversion towards government schools has come about?
High level of corruption in the Education Department and the failure of the successive State Governments to stem the rot have been at the root cause of this transition for preference of private schools to Government schools.
Education is supposed to make life and show the path to that life, but most parents feared that the academic career of their children would come to naught if they were sent to some Government schools.
This is the tragedy of Government schools in Manipur today. So, we say it is good to hear, for a change, that the State Government has taken up the challenge of cleaning the rot within its existing education system and make the Government schools the vehicle for ushering in quality education by surpassing the private schools in 3 years' time.
Leaving aside the question of whether the Education Minister would be able to live up to achieve this within a short span of 3 years or not, it is appreciable that at least the State Government has woken up to the fact that something is seriously wrong in the system of running its schools.
However, we can't help but wonder how inauguration of two residential schools in Bishnupur district, which do not have buildings of their own, and assuring the students to provide all the benefits mandated under the Right to Education Act, would not do the magic.
As a matter of fact, under the provisions of the Act, schools should be located with a radius of 1-3 km from where the child lives.
Here, we would like to question the relevance of opening new schools in areas where there are already schools within walk-able distance.
For bringing about quality education, what is more important is improving the infrastructure of the existing schools in different parts of the State.
Just one swallow does not make a summer; two schools would not do any wonder while hundred others are lying in rot.
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