The Educational system problem and Solution :: A Discussion

Dr. Thohe Pou *

A girl catches up on her study before dusk sets in :: Pix - TSE

The Nagalim Times group in Facebook put up a topic and discusses every week and here is the contribution made by its members on educational system problem - causes and its measures to remove the problems.

Luikham Naga: Realizing the importance of education and competitiveness in the global context the Govt. of India had passed an Act in the parliament for free and compulsory education between the age group of 6-14 on 4th August 2009, and made it a fundamental rights for every children under Article 21A of the Indian constitution when the act came into forced on 1st April 2010. Despite all the efforts to impart free education not only for the poor but for all the citizens of India, the states Govt. like Manipur and Nagaland have made RTE a business and take it as granted due to overwhelmingly growing of private institutions. If the higher authorities who are supposed to implement ignore the important of RTE, how will the children get benefit in the first place?

The funds sanctioned for education is being diverted to other purposes so the very mission of free education has become impossible. For e.g: Govt. SSA school teachers' salary are paid after 5-6 months. We may need to first book those authorities who are diverting the funds meant for your children's and my children's education to MR, MP. How Ibobi's Govt. a debtor could run the Govt.? Not paying Govt. employee's salary for over a period of time again and again prove that the funds are diverted and functioning on credit. It is our rights to get free education for our children. We should not be spending hell lots of money for our children's education in private schools. We are simply wasting our money on our children education due to corruption of our Govt. Those school fees which we are paying should be spend for other purposes or invest for our children's higher education. We must find a way out to change this dirty system if we want a quality education for our children.

Elizabeth Gangmei: The main problems in the educational system in Manipur is practice of teachers appointment on bribe, nepotism, sub-standard infrastructure especially in the far-flung remote areas, teacher absenteeism, keeping substitute teacher instead of the regular teacher attending to their duty sincerely, drop-out of students before completion of the session, no meaningful learning taking place in the actual classroom, neglecting teachers in-service training etc.

Poji Lk: Our educational system focus mainly on book knowledge giving very less important on extra-curricular activities like group interaction, sport, music, painting etc, which can evaluate and extract students' natural skill or talent, poor relation between parent teacher, teacher and student is also one of the setbacks in our educational system. Today we need to develop a computerized educational management system. There is no hope to bring any changes in govt. schools since there is too much corruption involved in setting and running govt schools.

Dominic Kojing Shilshi: The Ground work has to be prepared by the state government. Ensured schools building are available as specified under the RTE Act. Thatching, muddling and tented huts should not represent school buildings. Teachers have to be recruited timely and adequately. District level, local and village level school management committee must be augmented as per the guide line given under the RTE Act. Lastly fund for education must not be misused. Let there be some limit with corruption. And wolfs (UGs) must not be allowed to lay their hands in any way and they must be kept out by any means. There are government teachers who never go to school to teach. There are schools that remain redundant but in paper, one could find children with bustling education activities. There are teachers who roam in big cities enjoying themselves with their children who got a government job. These teachers rented out their teaching job to some needy people who would attend school on 50/50 salary sharing basis and retire with pension benefits. How should one address such problem? Think about it.

Sankhil Shelhon: See there is a lot of teacher in Manipur and Nagaland but if you go the village you will never find the real teacher you will see only the substitute one, mostly in hill district.

Thohe Pou: Of course the Teachers' monthly salary is little irregular but most of the people who could not get a central job or get good pay in Pvt. Sectors become the Govt. school teachers. Infact, most of the teachers are no eligible to become a teacher. The teachers are not motivated enough to sacrifice their time and share their knowledge to the students; most of them teach the students out of compulsion or as a duty. The problem starts from recruitment of teachers. In some schools, teachers are more than the students. The district school inspector knows all the problems in his or her district, but he or she remains as a silent spectator. The common people know the fact but prefer to remain silent; the common people also responsible to pathetic administration and teaching system in the state. There are many organizations but there is not any organization that stress on important of Education. The students Unions are now becoming like a political leaders and forget the important of education. Is there any Students Union in any district that stresses and give some important to Education? There are 1000s of NGOs, but not a single NGO involves or talks the important of Education. Every individual, teacher, Unions, organization, Govt. etc are responsible in one way or other way.

Hamung Shimmy Shimray: So true. But tell me why GOM pay salaries after 3 or 6 months? Are we indebted to GOI? I don't think it's ethical.

Thohe Pou: The teachers Association or Union should protest against the Govt. on this aspect, but why no Teachers' Union protests against the Govt? If the teachers are employed only to withdraw salary from the Bank without any purpose or intention to impart knowledge to the students, they won't have any reasons or guts to protest against the Govt. for not giving salary on time. The village authority, Students Union and other bigger organisation should take the initiative and check the attendance of the teachers. Today, surprisingly, starting from me - teachers - students union - NGOs - and other frontal Organisations are all silent on educational system. I think there are too many problems to be highlighted but too less people who have concern for better educational system.

Sorah A Shipo: I would like to stress on one thing i.e. passion for Education. We need to have passion to teach and willingness to give knowledge and excitement in a child life to study more. As you all know that most of the teachers do not work out of passion but just to get a job for salary. There is also nepotism involves in all recruitment process starting from the highest level to the lowest job. Then how can we produce quality education? We are afresh with the SSA teacher recruitment and Primary teacher recruitment. So guys we the youth of the present era needs to bring change with the available instruments and agencies.

Pax Khongrei: I am okay with giving away their job at half the salary, only if the appointee is a better than the teacher. All we need is a teacher with PASSION to teach and CREATE a better tomorrow. I would like to throw a question: What quality of products (Students) would be yield with the kind of teachers we have at present?

Shelvingam Sankhil Khamrang: Govt. should salary on a regular basis, due to long pending salary all the teachers are busy trying to find alternative income and we don't find teacher when one visit Govt schools.

Mark Chaz: I think lack of transparency while recruiting Teachers is one of the major problems. Daingam Gonmei: We the people of Manipur and Nagaland are poor. But if we utilize properly the present schools, we can solve the problem. I do not know about Nagaland but in Manipur education Dept. has eaten up all the funds that comes under RTE for teachers' salary.

Edited by: Dr. Thohe Pou
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