Unrest situation battering education sector
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: November 29, 2024 -

THE same day the state government announced extension of the closure of all schools and colleges in the valley districts, where curfew is in place, for an indefinite period, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) declared 'shutdown' of offices of the state and the central governments on Wednesday and Thursday, demanding complete repeal of AFSPA-1958 and conducting operation against Kuki militants involved in the abduction and subsequent brutal murder of three children and same number of women, among other demands raised.

COCOMI, however, exempted educational institutions from the purview of the shutdown, apparently acknowledging that the education sector is among the worst-affected by the on-going Kuki-Meetei conflict.

On its part, the government has been resorting to suspension of internet services whenever public agitations turn violent or pose threat to peace, easing the same prohibition under certain conditions, and ordering closure of educational institutions as pre-emptive measures amid the on-going restive situation, all under the pretext of maintaining law and order.

No doubt, Manipur has been familiar with periodical disruptions caused to academic activities for the past many decades owing to public movement for varied reasons, but suffered the most during the two years of coronavirus outbreak.

Though classes were conducted online during prevalence of Covid-19, such improvisation in the education system mainly benefitted wards of the wealthier folks while financial distress of the marginalised section of the society got compounded as the parents either borrowed money at high interest rates or toiled harder to provide communication gadgets in order to ensure that their children were not deprived of their educational goals.

After a sigh of great relief following subsidence of the Covid-19, the outbreak of the communal conflict in May 2023 has been undoubtedly causing serious distress to the parents with the valley districts, in particular, witnessing public agitations, either to raise demand to the government to end the conflict or in condemnation of civilian deaths in attacks by Kuki militants.

Unlike the COVID era when the government used resources at its disposal to facilitate online classes, the prevailing unrest situation is marked by suspension of the internet services, thereby rendering impossible conduct of online classes.

Education is both parent and public responsibility but schools and colleges as organised institutions have been taking the major responsibility in fostering values and enhancing cerebral activities in students.

Moreover, parents see the teachers as valued assets of the society and cherish their role in shaping the students through building the foundation for their lifelong learning, promoting human excellence and understanding the toil of the parents to make their wards responsible citizens of the future.

With such invaluable characteristics left unaddressed as an after-effect of the on-going unrest situation, the students are denied proper education, an essential ingredient in the process of inculcating values to equip the learner lead a life that is satisfying to the individual and in accordance with the cherished values and ideals of the society.

Thus, it is hoped that neither the government policies nor public movements orchestrated by civil society and student organisations would cause disruption to academic activities, taking note of the fact parents spend sleepless nights worried that in the absence ofsocial stability their children are always exposed to perilous situation.