Students ratio fudged
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 05 2011:
Contrary to the claim over high rate of student enrolment on paper, the number of students in some of the schools among the 67 which have been upgraded from Junior level to High Schools in connection with providing free and compulsory education under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) is said to be not appreciable.
In such a situation, the number of teachers is likely to be more than the students in some schools.
According to a source in the Education Department, the State Government has already started the process of recruiting 536 Graduate teachers under RMSA for posting on an average of eight teachers in each of the 67 upgraded High Schools.
Though the recruitment of 536 Graduate teachers may solve the problem of shortage of teachers, there are schools, specially in remote hill areas, where the number of student enrolment may not cross the 150 mark.
In such a scenario, posting of eight teachers would create a situation where there could be surplus of teachers.
In accordance with the laid down norms of the Government, the teachers are supposed to be posted taking into consideration of the teacher-student ratio of 1:30.However, this norm is going to be far from compliance in case of the teachers recruited under RMSA.
Moreover, the present process is likely to give more room for substitute teachers specially in hill areas where the actual teachers posted by the Government did not attend classes but share the monthly salary with a hired local man or woman.
On the other hand, another source disclosed that as part of the measures being taken up by the Government of India under RMSA for having at least one Higher Secondary School within a distance of 7 to 10 kms from each other, a large number of high schools in Manipur are proposed to be upgraded to Higher Secondary Schools during the 12th Plan period.
In the light of this upgradation under RMSA, appointment of more teachers would be necessitated and teachers appointed under RMSA, both for high schools and higher secondary schools, would remain in schools under RMSA and would be non-transferable to other schools.
Their monthly salary would also be paid by the Government of India.
Consequently, teachers appointed under RMSA would teach students in schools under RMSA and the teachers working under the State Education Directorate would be teaching students in schools under the Directorate only.
So, by the 12th Plan period, there would be drastic increase in the number of teachers in Manipur, the source added.