Students' protest jolts Okendra to rude awakening
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Ashem Babycha
Imphal, May 08 2015 :
For the first time in the chequered and disconcerting history of education system in Manipur students of Government Ithai Khunnou high school on Friday gate crashed the well guarded secretariat, new block, to throw their text books and pouches of rice on the campus.
They shouted slogans saying that they do not need the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) books or mid day meal rice.
They want teachers for classses.
Some policemen were seen picking the same to throw back to the students.
The students had come all the way from Ithai to stage the novel protest never seen before since their frantic cries for sending replacement teachers had fallen on the deaf ears of the education minister.
Police pushed them back without using much force.
However no arrest was made since it would have aggravated the situation.
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Loal youth leaders who had come along with the students told reporters there were 6 SSA teachers.
But 3 of them had been transferred away.
There are also 3 Rastriya Madhyamic Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) teachers and one head master.
These 7 teachers are not enough to teach 670 students in this school.
However the officials are not listening to the demand to send the replacement teachers.
A guardian, H.Ibohal said that fearing that the students will lose precious classes they had engaged private teachers with money they raised.
However the situation has come to such a pass that they no longer can pay such private teachers.
Education minister Okendra rushed to the Keishampat junction to talk with the students, parents and local youth leaders.
He assured them that the teachers who had been ordered to join the school shall do so within Wednesday.
If they do not do appropriate actions shall be taken up.
However nothing was said about the high officials of the education department who had apparently colluded with the absenting teachers.