New Education for new Manipur 1

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E-Pao! Education - Completely new education for a new Manipur - 1

Completely new education for a new Manipur
— With special reference to the hills —
Part 1

By: T. Vunglallian *

The number of reports, exposes, editorials, seminars and workshops – and not to forget, the countless agitations, black badges and bandhs over the years, about the plight of education go to show the public concern, and impotence about the state of education in Manipur.

In the main, the concern is on education as provided by Government schools and colleges, and our one university.

However, in spite of all the writings, talks, seminars, committees and even Commissions (for schools in 1991 and 'higher education' in 2003), this writer has yet to come across any path-breaking or innovative suggestions that can tackle the hydra-headed problems head on, and show a way out of the quagmire Manipur's education is in.

Some of the recent unbecoming, disturbing and negative news and trends that are adversely affecting education, as we know it in Manipur, are:-

(a) The recent spate of controversial teacher appointments through examinations – or, sometimes, no examination at all - leave a whole lot of un-answered questions, a bad precedent, as well as a very bad taste in the mouth.

(b) Another not too old a report said that in spite of the questionable recruitment the schools are said to be still around 2000 teachers short.

(c) Then, out of the blue, one reads the announcement in the local papers, dated 18th September, 2006, that the last date for submission of applications for the posts of 1694 primary school teachers is 22nd September, 2006!!!

(Note: The desperate applicants, obviously stampeding, and a job-starved society could not pause to wonder how un-thinking, non-planning and in-sincere the government is ... in that the teacher shortages are years and years old, yet recruitment notice and last date for submission of applications are both called for... all within a week!!! This undue haste makes a mockery of the much talked of reforms and quest for quality education... and suggests things fit for the dark side of the moon.

Whereas, announcements for recruitment deserve to be made 2/3/4 or more months in advance, with another month for submission of applications... and then, if and when the examination and interviews take place, the results – list of the selected - ought to be published within a day or two. (The above is known to all. It is also known that it should not be followed!)

That, the Gauhati High Court, on the petition of "1997 Primary Teacher DPC Faced Candidates' Association" stayed the proceedings to appoint over 1200 primary teachers, is not only an order that has come in the nick of time, but is – hopefully - a rude reminder to the Government, especially to one of its Department that has been plunging from one scandal to another, albeit without learning any lesson... to come to its senses and start doing the right thing at the right time.

And much more with humane considerations... three of which are:

resolve pending cases (like those – and there are others - of the '1997 Candidates'), before inviting more problems;
not to play with jobs that are lives of people and, of course
(iii) have a long term education policy/plan/vision... and stay on course, thereafter, no matter who occupies the seats of power.

Having said the above, this writer suggests/insists the way out, and forward, is to wipe off old ways that have proved to have failed the test of time and, therefore, start with a clean slate based on perform or perish!)

(d) The talk of appointing over 200 more college lecturers when

published enrolment figures show that 17 of the 25 Government colleges have enrolment below 500 (the government schools of Manipur could hardly be any better), and
when the meritorious cases of many out of over 400 Part-Time Lecturers – who are all in a limbo - ought to be dealt with first. (All, however, subject to 'perform or perish'... and a bit more.)

(e) The ongoing call for government take-over of aided colleges when,

as reported in the papers, none of the agitating 7 aided-colleges have enrolment crossing 300 ... and so cannot deserve consideration.
When, it must be admitted that these 7 colleges were allowed to subsist ... while being killed softly ... through occasional government doles that gave hopes to fairly hopeless cases over the decades.
When it must be the duty of the government to deal with this case once and for all, and not ignore it till the next agitation time-come-winds-of-election!

(Here, this writer suggests clubbing of all institutions to make way for fewer "centres of learning" and consideration of Part-Timers and Aided-College Teachers for a better deal within the 'centres of learning' before making a single fresh appointment. This should come together with his other suggestion regarding the present set of teachers who are not delivering. See later.)

(f) The unreasonably strong protests by valley students when their teachers are transferred* (to other colleges within Manipur) etc.

Note: *Reference students (of valley colleges) protesting their teacher's transfer: This is in sharp contrast to the as good as no-protests by hill students, when their teachers go on getting transferred from the hills into the valley of Imphal ... In fact, there is a deafening silence in the hills, even when the replacement teachers for the hill schools/colleges do not report for duty/posting, in spite of orders!

(But, beware ... the matter does not end there, because one-way transfers lead to shortages ... that lead to deprivation and denial of 'very human educational rights' ... leading to deep resentment ... and then to extreme steps like 'economic blockades' ... Begetting the question: Which is 'the' extreme?!)

Such depressing teacher-shortage-ground-reality was confirmed, as recently as the 11th of August, 2006, when MU's own Director of College Development Council, saw for himself the acute shortage of teachers in Pettigrew College ... for which shortages the people of Ukhrul have long stopped protesting!

All that is done now is: the concerned student's union writes and meets the 'authorities' who'll assuage tribal protests by simply promising posting of teachers. And sure enough, we all know, some prompt orders will be issued and the hill protestors will go back happy with the 'orders'. But a few months will pass ... and, as good as, no one will still actually join. Because, the counter-protests from the "transfer affected' valley college shall bring the government to its knees.

The truth is that this game has been played out so often that tribal students, from all hill schools and colleges, find no point in banging their heads against a Wall. A Wall that their elected representatives could have surmounted, or broken down, but did not care enough to. The tragedy is that these representatives have never even bothered to lean hard enough against the Wall!

(This writer, in his 30 years of service has yet to hear of a hill MLA/Minister who cared enough for education in her/his constituency's schools or college(s), to ensure that there was/is never a shortage of science teachers... when they all know, very well, that there is acute shortage of math and science teachers... and that their tribal student-brethren are extremely weak in math and science.

In fact, not one of them has been able to effect the "real" transfer/posting of even one science/math teacher to a hill school or college! If this writer is wrong in this surmise, he apologizes – and thankfully too - from the bottom of his heart!)

As said, tribal students have always come up against a Wall... a wall that would rather over-staff, say, the D.M. College of Science ... so that they can plan to open P.G. classes! This (imagine!) when all the hill colleges – 2 with over a 1000 students each – have their science departments literally dying because of teacher shortage!

Or, is MU – as a central university – so over-crowded with science students that it needs to be helped by DMC of Sc.?

Or, are the hills being pushed/manipulated to demand their own university... not to bring education, but to give employment** i.e. accommodate MU's growing number of post-graduates and doctorates?

This wretched Wall is also an 'apparent amen' to valley schools and colleges gaining teachers - surreptitiously - every once in a while.

This is evident from those transferred out managing to avoid going to their hill postings, while the transferred in (to the valley school/college) had been already released as the first mover!!

A time to question

Having aired the above, the million-dollar question is, as far as the appointing-spree goes, and going by 'disgraceful' enrolment and performances of government schools and colleges... the question is: Do we need so many more teachers?

Wouldn't it be more sensible, first, to right-size the number of schools and colleges, and then re-organize them before thinking of fresh appointments for the sake of appointing and, thereafter, committing the State to something that will be binding for 30 plus years!

The government must think and then plan for a hundred years, in spite of the great need of providing employment. It must be kept in mind that employment** for the sake of employment, no matter how important, is not the answer to Manipur's tryst with education.

(employment**: This writer is led to think of another easy-to-see-through malintent!

Namely: One big impediment to education in Manipur is that... education is being used as an employment provider, not education provider!

For proof: Just look at the undue haste in the announcement and selection of thousands of teachers... most of whom will 'never' teach!

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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