Kwatha School cries for government attention
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 21 2012: Imagine this situation - only two teachers taking all the classes and teaching the students from class I to VIII in a school.

Shall we call it multi-talented or something else? .

It is not some puzzles but the harsh reality faced by students of Kwatha Government Junior High School where there is only two teachers.

Kwatha is a village in Chandel district and is situated at a distance of 7 km from Khudengthabi Lamkhai.

What is even more saddening is the condition of the school building which looks like an old building with just three classrooms.

On account of the pathetic condition of the school, only 35 students out of 65 admitted are coming to the school for their studies.

Moreover, there is no room for the teachers and the few furniture inside the classes are in pitiable condition.

Due to lack of blackboard, some cemented part of the walls are being used as blackboard after being painted black.

It is said that the school building was constructed in 2006-07 under BADP.

There is no playground for the students.

There is no separate toilet for boys and girls.

Even though, the government had provided water tanks to its schools with an aim to provide safe drinking water to the students, this particular school has no such water tank, not to talk of provision for safe drinking water for students.

Headmaster of the school Angom Bira told Hueiyen Lanpao that the school was established in 1962 as a Primary School.

Later on, it was upgraded to Junior High School in 1999 by the then Chief Minister of Manipur Wahengbam Nipamacha when visited the village.

Around that time, there were seven teachers in the school.

However, three teachers got transfer afterwards and since then no replacement have been sent.

Among the four remaining teachers, one Assistant Teacher identified as Khumujam Sanjini of Khurai Lamlong has not come to attend the school for the past four years.

The headmaster informed that he himself contacted the said teacher over the phone at many times, but she refused to attend school without any reason.

On the other hand, another teacher identidied as Ningombam Megha of Uyan in Thoubal district, too has not attended the school since the beginning of the current session, the headmaster disclosed.

Right now, the headmaster and another assistant teacher identified as Takhellambam Tasing of Kwatha are teaching the students.

In the past, teachers posted in the school used to arrange substitutes from the village itself.

However, the substitute teachers too have ceased from coming to the school since the teachers concerned did not pay their due wages.

The Headmaster informed that he himself had contacted the authorities concerned through the DI of ZEO Moreh on numerous occasions for sending replacements of the teachers transferred from the school but to no avail.

Lamenting over the apathetic attitude of the government officials concerned towards, the headmasters informed that the teachers themselves have been buying the chalks from their own pocket.

Recently, an official of SSA had informed that they had deposited an amount of Rs 26,000 in the Village Education Committee's account for the maintenance of the school.

The headmaster further disclosed that whenever he went to the office of ZEO Chandel to get their share of mid day meal, the officials posted there deducted Rs 3000 to 4000 every time.

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