Education Department diluting essence of education: DESAM
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 08 2024: Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) contended that inefficiency and unholy practices in the education department is the primary reason for the state lagging behind in terms of quality education.

In a memorandum address to the chief minister and the education minister, DESAM president M Somorjit alleged that the education department, under the current director, manipulated the enrolment data and scammed the people of over Rs 120 crore, while diluting essence of education in the state.

Citing reports, he asserted that the education department is manipulating students' enrolment data in government schools, and using fake/ghost enrolment to bag more funds from the centre under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.

The State Project Director (SPD) raised the second-highest amount of money from the central government (over Rs 26,000 per child), however standard of education in the state has been regressing ever since the director took charge of the department, he alleged.

Somorjit contended that students of Manipur are paying the price of inefficiency in the education department with drop-out rates in primary grades increasing from 8 per cent in 2020 to 13.3 per cent in 2021, making Manipur the state with the highest primary level dropout rate in the country.

The financial rules of Samagra shiksha and government are all flouted, with process for fund flow to the district totally manipulated by some key officials of the district and programme co-ordinators of the head office, he alleged.

Regarding the GeM/Tender process, the president pointed out that all tender processes should be duly followed but in the case of Samagra Shiksha none of the work items are seen listed on the website of GeM (Government e-market place).

Hence, a huge question arises whether the processes are duly followed, he continued, while alleging the director of hiring unqualified teachers and indulging in corruption.

In the last five years, the department increased its spending by 47 per cent, but the standard of education regressed, he lamented, while enquiring why the CM and the education minister are remaining silent over corruption and demanded whether the SPD will be held accountable for his actions.

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