Govt school in 'dire straits'
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 12 2013:
While Government schools continue to be at the receiving end of criticisms from civil society organisations, particularly student bodies, for failure to enrol students, dramatic increase in the number of students' strength is turning out to be a nightmare for a Government school in Yumnam Huidrom as the institution is facing shortage of teachers.
According to headmaster in-charge O Hemantajit, Yumnam Huidrom Government High School, under Wangoi Assembly Constituency, was a reasonably high-performing institution till the early years of the new millennium but in subsequent years lost its sheen due to paucity of students.
From being one of the rare Government schools in the State that had students in first division in the 2004 matriculate examination, the School's popularity slumped to such an extent that no more than two pupils enrolled in the last few academic sessions, conceded the headmaster in-charge.
While brief exultation in declaring that the School currently have 177 students, Hemantajit's facial expression returned to sobriety again with the confession that present strength of nine teachers would be inadequate to live upto the students' expectations.
Talking to newspersons during a school inspection visit by a team of Manipuri Students' Federation (MSF), the headmaster in-charge urged the State Government to provide requisite number of teaching staff members along with ensuring infrastructure such as desks and benches.
Inspite of apprising officials of zonal Education Officer, Wangoi on the problem of teaching staff shortage faced by the School there is still no positive indication that the issue would be addressed, regretted Hemantajit while confiding that even visits by the Additional Director of Education Department and the ZEO concerned could not have the desired effect.
Further claiming that the School was overlooked at the time of transfer/posting of teachers under SSA programme, he attributed efforts and support by the local youth organisations for the recent revival of the Government-run educational institution.
Interacting with the media team School's guardian association president Laishram Sova Singh said that association delegation met ZEO concerned to urge posting of sufficient number of teaching staff but to no avail till date.