Benefits of RTE Act still a distant dream in Ukhrul
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, March 31 2012: Although the Right to Education (RTE) Act started implementing in Manipur since April, 2010 after it was passed by the Parliament in August, 2009, people of Ukhrul district have yet to get any benefit from the implementation of the Act that ensures free and compulsory education to children upto the stage of elementary level.

Under the RTE Act, all the children in the age group of 6 to 14 years are entitled to get free and compulsory education.

The provisions of the Act also ensure free text books, school uniforms and school bags all children.

However, the children of Ukhrul district have not received any of these benefits and as a result most of the children from poor families have abstained from pursuing normal schooling.

In an interface between the Zonal Education Officer (ZEO), Ukhrul Autonomous District Council and officials of ICDS; School Management Development Committee, NGOs and School authorities, which was held at the conference Hall of Oasis Hotel, TTA Complex, Ukhrul district yesterday, NE Luikham, ZEO, disclosed that since implementation of RTE Act in the state, free text books under SSA have been provided to 22,000 students of primary schools in the state.

The number of books provided, however, is adequate as compared with the existing number of students at the primary level.

Apart from school uniforms, which are either over or under sized, received under SSA, no shoes and sweaters have been provided to the students of Ukhrul district till today.

Moreover, there is also lack of teachers in schools in different part of the district.

At times, the vacancies created following transfer of teachers are not filled in and the students are left to suffer, the ZEO added.Participating in the interface, Ayo, a villager, pointed out that there is only one government primary school in Loushing Village of Phungyar sub division and the school has 34 students and 6 teachers.

Out of the six teachers, three of them are from Imphal and they seldom come to attend school.

To take their places, local youths have been hired and the teachers pay them a monthly salary of Rs 3500 each.

The villager also informed that the students of the school in his village have always been deprived of due benefits under RTE Act like free text books, school uniforms and mid day meals.

The interface was also attended by Somi Raising, DI, Ukhrul District Autonomous Council; DI Wonthing Shimray and CDPO of Chingai Sub Division, Leipala Khangrah.

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