RCA of State education
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: April 26, 2013 -

In plain words, RCA or root cause analysis is a methodology or technique to address a problem or non-conformance in order to get to the 'root cause' of the problem for necessary corrective measures and then to prevent recurrence of the problem.

In another word, RCA is simply asking why the problem is there, and then continuing to find out why that happened until we arrive at a possible solution to fix that problem.

Thus, the practice of RCA is based on the belief that problems can be best solved by eliminating the root causes instead of merely addressing the obvious symptoms.

With the origin of the concept normally traced back to the field of engineering development, more particularly in Total Quality Management (TQM), RCA applications were, traditionally, confined to resolution of customer complaints and returns, disposition of non-confirming materials (scrap and repair) via the material review process and corrective action plans resulting from internal and customer audits.

However, over the years, the application of RCA method has expanded its reach to almost every field including aerospace, medicine, transportation, nuclear power, chemical processing, pollution control, information technology, manufacturing and even education, both formal and informal.

In fact, in developed countries like USA, RCA has become an important addition to the risk management armamentarium in the health care system while RCA tools are indispensable for assessment of student performance in education.

It's true that after taking over the charge; Education Minister Moirangthem Okendro Singh has been trying his best level to bring about a change in the ailing education system of Manipur with a kind of missionary zeal which was not to be seen among any of his predecessors.

Many elected Governments have come and gone doing nothing precious for development of the education system and there was a time when the Education Department in the State had almost become synonymous with corruption.

But today, the image and reputation of the Education Department is improving slowing and all the news headline-grapping scams and scandals in the Department are almost becoming a thing of the past.

Yet, the improvement in education sector being witnessed after long years of neglect and lying in limbo, though appreciable, definitely needs to speed up and spread out to all parts of the State so that the Education Minister does not have to eat his own words on what he had said about 'Manipur becoming a self-reliant State in education', because the state of education in places little further off from the capital city is still pathetically poor, to say the least.

For a thorough cleansing of the rot in the Education Department and to infuse a new lease of life in the ailing education system, we would like to suggest to the Education Minister, if we may be permitted, to strike at the root cause of the problem, and to begin with, let the budgetary allocation for education be increased not for allowing them to into the private pockets of corrupt officials but for the development of necessary infrastructures.