MSF's bouquets and brickbats for Education Department
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 27 2011: While hailing recent initiative of the Directorate of Education (Schools) for enhancing intake seat capacity for class XI in Government schools, Manipuri Students' Federation (MSF) has alleged misuse of power by certain officials under the Zonal Education Officers.

speaking to newspersons at its head office today, MSF president L Ibomcha said persistence by the student body for welfare of students belonging to economically deprived family of the society recently materialised in the form of the Directorate issuing a notification for enhancing the intake seat capacity from the current academic session.

Highlighting that an order of the Directorate issued on July 26 entailed heads of institutions of Government higher secondary schools to enhance intake seat capacity for Arts stream to 300 from 200 and from 20 to 30 seats for Science stream, Ibomcha noted that the move will certainly benefit the poor students.

While the Directorate's order conveyed to the Principal concerned for immediate implementation of the intake seat capacity enhancement and to furnish a 'concrete requirement of the school in the said enhancement', the MSF president pointed out that there are many students who could not afford further studies at private institutions where annual financial requirement ranges from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 .

With the pass percentage in both the HSLC and HSE examinations recording the highest this year in recent time, many of the students desiring to sustain the learning process were stranded in a perilous situation due to limited seats in Government higher secondary schools and financially draining education at private institutions, he said while reiterating that MSF prevailed upon Director of Education (S) W Rajen Singh in June to ensure education of the economically underprivileged.

While conveying gratitude to the Director, Ibomcha also suggested that authorities of Education (University) take similar measures to accommodate greater number of students in class XII.

On the otherhand, the MSF president alleged deduction by Assistant Inspectors and District Inspectors of Schools under the respective ZEOs to the tune of 40 to 60 percent out of the financial/material provisions for schools covered by Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA).

Following percentage deduction provision of cooked mid-day meal are being denied to the young students under the ZEOs, he said while asking all concerned to clarify at the earliest why such deductions have to be insisted.

Further suggesting that higher authorities of Education (S) should launch an investigation into the matter and pull up the guilty individuals, if any, Ibomcha opined that Manipur not only needs an efficient officer to cleanse the rot from education system but a tough individual who could take prompt action against the wrongdoers.

He also confided that MSF will soon petition relevant authorities under the right to information act for a detailed report with regard to the prescribed number of DIs and AIs in the Education (S) Department and strength of the said officials under the ZEOs concerned.

Claiming that reports have been received regarding teachers originally enrolled for primary level teaching getting promotion to graduate teachers and in some cases of primary teachers enjoying salary amount on par with graduate teachers, Ibomcha added that the MSF petition will also cover information concerning criteria for promotion of primary teachers to graduate teachers.

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