DESAM refuses to budge, sticks to stand
Cancel recruitment test cry still on
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 14 2024: A day after three of its volunteers were arrested for protesting against alleged irregularities in recruitment of pre-primary teachers, the Democratic Students Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) has said that they won't compromise their demand even if 100 of its volunteers are arrested.

The demand being raised by DESAM is to cancel the recruitment of 1140 pre-primary teachers by the Education Department.

DESAM, in a lengthy statement, said that it would be unfortunate if the Government and its machinery think that suppressing every voice of dissent is a solution to every problem.

The student organisation also said that the Government should not invite more protests amid the ongoing Meetei-Kuki clash in the State.

Instead of resorting to arrest and suppressing the voice of dissent without giving much thought on the problem, the Government should consider addressing the problem through discussion, the student body advised.

Wrongs done consciously may not have any immediate effect but the future generations will never forgive the wrong doers, DESAM said.

The statement of DESAM is addressed to Education Minister Th Basantakumar, Education Commissioner Huirem Gyanprakash and Education (S) Director L Nandakumar.

Right to Education (RTE) 2009 Act is an alienable provision of the modern Indian education system which guarantees free education to children in the age bracket of 6 to 14, DESAM said and added that teachers who were recruited before 2009 were given teacher training within a set period of time as per Sub Section (1) of Section 23 of Right of Children to Free and Children Education Act 2009 .

It said that many teachers in private and Government schools of Manipur were also trained at IGNOU and NIOS by giving one time relaxation as per the provision of RTE Act 2009 .

How the teacher training was done remains questionable till today, DESAM added.

Saying that National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reinforce the education system of India, DESAM continued that NEP 2020 focuses on improving the pre-primary education as it is the foundation stage.

Further stating that recruitment of pre-primary teachers and their training must be done as per the norms and guidelines of National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), DESAM maintained that a four year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) has also been rolled out in some States.

The four year ITEP also covers a training programme of aspirant pre-primary teachers, it added.

Saying that they have been urging the Manipur Government to begin the four year teacher training course since NEP 2020 was drafted, DESAM said that the Government, however, has been turning a deaf ear to their demand.

Why is the State Government not able to send a proposal to set up an institution to train the teachers, the student body asked and claimed that the Government working hurriedly to recruit teachers at a time when the sanction given to the proposal approved in 2023 to recruit and train pre-primary teachers is about to lapse is illogical.

Is the Government planning to recruit teachers to shape the future of the students or for something else, it asked.

Saying that the Cabinet should discuss the demand of DESAM if they want to strengthen the education system of the State, the student body added that what they demand is to recruit the most qualified teachers.

The future of the education system of Manipur will be bleak if the State doesn't have any teacher training institution, DESAM added.

Can the Government recruit doctors, engineers and Olympic athletes first and train them after the selection, the student body continued.

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