Willong school faces shortage of teachers, infrastructure
Source: Chronicle News Service
Senapati, March 16 2022:
Despite repeated reminders and petitions by locals, a remote UJB School under Willong sub-division of Senapati district continues to suffer from acute shortage of teachers, facilities and pathetic infrastructure.
Managed by ADC Senapati, the school lacks free text books or other materials with no regular classes conducted for almost two years now due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is said that the UJB school has enrolled some 70 young students from class I to V but left to manage the students with only three teachers till date from the total seven teachers who were initially posted at the school.
The school has no proper bench or desk, toilet, classrooms, power supply, teachers' room or quarters, study materials, play items or materials provided under flagship programmes.
Recently, a separate kitchen with CGI sheet was constructed but the main structure of the school is almost on the verge of collapsing, stated a village volunteer.
Due to such lack of proper facilities in Rajaimei village, many young students have been denied education at young age as many parents cannot afford to send them to private school.
Accordingly, some students opt for the nearest missionary run school at Willong which is some 18 km from Rajaimei village but some cannot even pay their school fees or boarding fees.
Sadly, the said UJB school is not even among those educational institutions in Manipur listed recently for upgradation of infrastructures, smart class room items, additional class rooms, toilets or providing funds for developing the students' academic performance.
Amidst COVID-19 pandemic, the closure of educational institutions has severely affected students' academic sessions, informed a village education volunteer.
From pathetic condition of infrastructure to poor attention by authorities concerned, the school has been left to rot leaving the village children to opt for private schools in Senapati DHQ or Willong.
The village authority has appealed to the Manipur government to immediately intervene so as to ensure proper functioning of the said UJB school as poor and helpless students have been severely affected by the present condition.