New Education for new Manipur 7

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E-Pao! Education - Completely new education for a new Manipur - 7

Completely new education for a new Manipur
— With special reference to the hills —
Part 7

By: T. Vunglallian *

Such time-and-again-failed remedies are - issuing new orders that please the governor, or made in public interest; transferring of 1-5-10-20 teachers (never 500-5000 or so at one go ... if "transfer and posting" were really the accepted policy); appointing more teachers in slip-shod ways; appending new titles and designations that the teaching community, of late, are always angling for; increasing service years from 58 to 59/60/62; or increasing salaries even more; making more buildings and dumping more old/un-sellable stock books in the libraries where there are no Librarians; or doubling budgets etc.

Nothing has worked and nothing is going to! In fact, if any of them are adopted – under the prevailing conditions - the quagmire is just going to get deeper and the exodus of our young, and not so young, will probably cross the point of no return!

The bottom-line is that nothing is going to change the public's and students' poor impression of government teachers, headmasters and principals and their institutions... unless something very visible, very positive and very opposite to what is going on around is actually seen on the ground.

This writer proposes the following Confidence Building Measures to change that poor but deserving impression:-

Confidence building measures

(a) Every government school and college – like their private counterparts - should close its gates, say from 9:30/10 a.m. and remain shut till 3:30/4 p.m. for a 6-hour working day, Monday to Saturday. Or, 7 hours a day for a 5-day week. The purpose of confinement of teacher and taught, within the campus, for 6/7 hours every day can only lead to the good things that all teachers know of so well and would quite like to pass on to the next generation.

(The timings, however, need not rigidly follow typical government office timings, in that it could be 9 am - 3 pm, or, say 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the hills and rural valley areas where some flexibility would certainly help.

The purpose of closing gates is to confine teacher and taught, not for the sake of punishment, but to encourage, even force face-to-face inter-action in and out of the classroom).

(b) Government educational institutions, again like their private counterparts, should increase their working days – at least up to 220 working days in a year. They can do this by dropping 3/4ths of the listed holidays of the government, because they are vacation departments who enjoy summer and winter vacations.

Today, teaching days are minimal because teachers enjoy all sorts of holidays – the said two vacations, even harvest holidays, plus all the government holidays that other government servants enjoy. Government schools and colleges, and MU, must not have their cake and eat it too ... at the cost of students enrolled in government institutions! And, of course, all the bandhs on bandh-fond towns, en-route the place of the teachers' hill posting.

(The majority of the 30-40 odd "government" holidays – red and blue on the state calendar - that teachers enjoy need to be trimmed by 3/4ths at the least. Such trimming, however, must be made according to the wishes of the community/area where the school/college is located, and not by the teacher's religion or community).

(A) teacher's daily credo must be: "I must not miss a single class today; if I do miss, then I must make it up ... and the time we spend together must be 'quality time'."

(d) A teacher's annual credo must be: "This year I did not miss a single class! In fact I took additional classes ... to make up ... to revise ..."

(e) Work Load: The daily routine should be made in such a way that each teacher/lecturer who is below 50 years of age must take, a minimum of 4 (four) periods a day along-with the additional non-class duties and responsibilities. Those who are over 50 years may be restricted to taking a minimum of 3 (three) periods a day with additional non-class duties and responsibilities.

(An offshoot of the above Class work-load would be: The above would alter the very basis of calculation for staffing pattern in schools and colleges. This would lead to lean but efficient teaching communities serving under MHES and MVES).

(f) Every Headmaster/ Headmistress/ Principal should make it a point to take at least 4–5 classes/periods a week ... if not one period a day. The reasons for this suggestion are all known and obvious ... and there is nothing negative about it!

(g) The Asstt. HMs/Vice-Principals* must take at least 2 periods a day if they are over 50 years. Those below 50 years should take at least 3 periods a day in addition to their duties and responsibilities. Subject Heads/HODs, under any circumstance, must not take less periods than the teachers under them. Each has to set an example, is the watchword.

(*Here, it is suggested that the subject HOD, in colleges, should be by rotation take class, as is done in many renown colleges, say in Delhi University. This suggestion would ruffle many a feather, but it is a good levelling system and very much in keeping with a profession where the senior-most and the junior-most do the same work, hopefully in all fairness).

(h) The school system of making up for absent teachers by sending a substitute teacher must be adopted in colleges too, in spite of the expected righteous protests! Substitute does not mean teaching another's subject/topic but taking an extra class in one's own speciality, or anything useful that any teacher can share with those who are many years younger etc. It is just that colleges should be more student-friendly and do what schools just do!

(i) The educational institutions must ensure a good academic atmosphere that shall be rounded up with the conduct of 'clean' examinations. Conducting all class /school/Board/Council/ college/University examinations in a free and fair manner, in each and every institution of the whole of Manipur is a must.

In the main, this is because, 'clean" examinations provide the level playing field that shall be the final testing ground ... where the fruits of labour by teacher and taught shall be, more or less, evaluated and confirmed!

(j) It must be realized by the Heads of all schools and colleges that making their campuses a beehive of activity - by organizing many quality co- and extra-curricular activities – is what shall separate the mediocre from institutions that have the makings of being excellent centres of learning.

This is being done under private initiative e.g. by, say, Don Bosco College, Maram! Here, the point is: If a cash-strapped private institution can do it, why can't "cash-cow-government-schools and colleges"** do even better?

(** "cash-cow government schools and colleges" means, briefly, cash-rich, by our standards! In order to achieve the status of "cash-cow government" school or college, it is important to point out here that, except for schools and colleges in the hills, both the Government and MU should quickly de-recognize and not bank-roll any government/ government-aided school or college that has its enrolment less than

- up to High School : Minimum of 600-800 students on its rolls
BA / BSc: Minimum of 600-800 students on its rolls
BA/BSc with +2(A & Sc): Minimum of 800-1000 students on its rolls

(There are no maximum figures because intake capacity and sustainability depends entirely upon the particular institution's ability and infrastructure.)

Perform or perish: Those that fall short should be merged with the better neighbouring school or college / or selected "center of learning."
Those that cross the minimum line have enough funds to run their institutions quite well, without begging or waiting for the department to dole out some crumbs. (Though the department must support in crucial areas that need to be addressed on institution-specific case, not common/stereotype for all).
And those institutions that comfortably cross the minimum are, what this writer calls, schools/colleges that are like "cash-cows"!
Now, if these enrolment figures can be maintained, there is no reason on earth why a government school or college cannot stand on its own feet, especially as salaries are borne by the government. In fact, except for big expansions and new projects, each NEW Manipur's school/college can carry out its own annual repairs and fund most of its activities.
In short, what this writer is implying is that, over the years, the government has "spoiled" its schools and colleges ... that now, like its master, can only crib: "No funds... No funds" and do nothing when, actually, there are funds!

Note: The above limits cannot apply to the hills, where,

(i) the full complement of teachers under MHES must, compulsorily, be in place for a minimum of 5 years before right-sizing conditions, followed by down-sizing conditions and then shutting down status/conditions apply. As such the minimum enrolment in the hills shall be:- (1) 400-600; (2) 400-600 and, (3) 600-800, respectively. If after the 5th year the enrolments do not reach the said minimum, then right-sizing, then down-sizing, then shutting down stages are to be carried out.

Read Part 1 | Read Part 2 | Read Part 3 | Read Part 4 | Read Part 5 | Read Part 6 | Read Part 7 | Read Part 8 | Read Part 9 | Read Part 10 | Read Part 11 |

T. Vunglallian wrote this article for The Sangai Express. The writer is a retired Lecturer of Churachandpur College. This article was webcasted on November 14th, 2006.

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