Imphal, May 05 2010: Commissioner of Education (S) PK Singh has advised the students to question their respective headmasters/principals if they were not given Mid-Day meals for 200 days in an academic year compulsorily.

Interacting with the students during the course of inspecting the existing conditions of the Government schools in Tamenglong district over two days since yesterday, PK Singh said, ''It is the right of the students to have Mid-Day meals for 200 days in an academic year.

So if the meals are not provided for the mandatory number of days, students should ask the reason from their headmasters and principals''.

Apart from taking first hand account of the existing infrastructures in the Government schools of the hill districts, another objective of the inspection was to spread awareness on the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme.

The inspection team comprising officials of School Education Department and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, State Mission Authority covered around 30 schools over the two-day long tour.

In all these schools, the Commissioner inquired the students to find out whether Mid-Day meal is serving to them or not and for how many days in a year.

Explaining to the students that it is mandatory to get Mid-Day meal for 200 days in a year, the Commissioner also advised the students to ask their respective headmasters and principals if they were not provided the meals for the prescribed number of days because the Government has already provide the required rice and the money for transportation and purchasing vegetables.

On the objective of his visit, the Commissioner informed the students and the teachers that various complaints about lack of adequate teachers and class rooms have been received.

He also assured that these complaints would be given due consideration.

During the course of the two-day long inspection, schools where Mid-Day meals are not being provided to the students properly have been identified.

A school in Toubam, however, was found implementing the scheme to the satisfaction of the students.

Interestingly, the inspection team had also come across schools where the building has been occupied by CRPF personnel deployed for security cover of the ongoing construction work on National Highway 53 and Railway line.

As the school buildings of Charoi Junior High School as well as that of the School-less Village School in Awang Khul have been occupied the CRPF personnel, the students were found having classes at some available/rented buildings.

Students and teachers of some schools have also complained over lack of teachers to teach computer classes though the Government had provided computer sets to these schools.

During the tour, the Commissioner distributed school bags, stationery items, rain coats, shoes, sports materials, white boards under SSA to most schools.

The distributed items include 2600 school bags, 650 rain coats, 650 shoes, stationery items, solar lighting lanterns, etc.

At Nungba High School, the students and the teachers said that they are receiving such items for the first time after India attains independence.

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