ATSUM demands abrogation of SMDCs
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 11 2014:
Saying that the way the State Government is implementing the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is fulll of anomaly, ATSUM has demanded immediate annulment of the ad-hoc School Management and Development Committee (SMDC) and cessation of the process of depositing second instalment fund in SMDC account.
Speaking to media persons at their Nagaram office today, ATSUM education secretary Lovejoy Shimrah said that the State Government has been implementing many flagship programmes without any efficiency.
ATSUM finds it hard to tolerate all the practices of favouritism, nepotism and discrepancies seen in the implementation of SSA.
According to the Manipur Gazette published on April 19, 2011, criteria for the members to be inducted into 14-member SMDC were laid down under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education.
At least 10 members should be drawn from amongst parents/guardians of students, one elected member of local authority, one local educationist, Headmaster of the school or senior most teach in case of absence of Headmaster.
However, a meeting presided by Education Minister M Okendro on October 26, 2013 decided to incorporate either Deputy Inspector of Schools or Assistant Inspector of Schools, and the same decision was put into action.
This very act of the Government was in contravention of Section 21 of the Rights of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009, Lovejoy said.
Induction of department officials, vested interest persons and politicians would never help in fructifying the noble objectives but would rather create unrest.
As such, there is an immediate need to abrogate the existing SMDC.
On the other hand, fund for construction of 365 schools under SSA was released in the first phase but there have been many cases in the hill districts where funds were drawn without constructing any structure.
Given this precedent, transfer of fund to SMDC account for the second instalment should be ceased at once, Lovejoy demanded.
As a rule, funds for construction of school buildings, compound fence, procuring teaching/learning equipment and library materials should be released through SMDC.
But the Government's interference and structural manipulation has evoked a serious question whether the Government was acting at the behest of some vested interest groups, he added.