Sainik School, a White Elephant in Manipur?
Radhakrishan Laishram *
It is observed that of late Sainik School making headlines have become a regular feature. These headlines have proclaimed Sainik School as the only school of highest reputation in the state citing the various achievements of the students of the school.
Recently the school had proudly declared that a one time record of seven students have booked their seats in the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA).
However, considering the only aim and objective of the school, that is to prepare boys for entry into the NDA and selection through All India Entrance Examination of over one hundred boys per batch at a very formative stage of class VI the one time record of seven boys having booked their seats in the NDA does not even account for a 10% achievement implying over 90% wastage rate.
A total of 89 boys having joined NDA in its history of 37 years amounts to less than a 3% achievement of its target. Even more, perhaps double the number of boys and girls from other schools of the state have joined the Armed Forces in the officers cadre.
Even in other walks of life barring a few doctors and engineers each of which is still yet to touch a two figure number in all the government departments put together, the contribution of the school is far behind that of the Government Higher Secondary schools like Sir John Stone Higher Secondary School, Maharaj Churchand Higher Secondary School, Ram Lal Paul Higher Secondary School etc. which have been playing a much stellar role in providing the Manipuri Society with Administrators, Academicians, Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Sportsmen etc.
Out of a hundred boys who join the school after undergoing a grueling entrance examination followed by an interview, a medical test and of course the merit list, hardly 40 to 50 boys remain in the school upto class XII, majority of them having been filtered out in between as unfits and perhaps a few of them migrate to other schools elsewhere after class X, probably due to lack of motivation to join the Armed Forces.
Of the remaining boys most of those who fail to join the NDA find it difficult to get admission in colleges even for a regular undergraduate course for want of better performance in class XII board examination. These boys land up pursuing some odd correspondence courses.
Even in the field of games and sports the school has been making headlines of the trophies which the boys have won in some matches with other schools elsewhere. However, barring a few football players the school is yet to produce sports personalities like Dingko Singh, Thoiba, Neelakamal and many others.
While the recent efforts to improve the infrastructure of the school is highly appreciated the State Government is yet to justify as to why crores of rupees are being pumped into a single school whose contribution inspite of its already better conditions is far behind those schools who are being denied a single penny inspite their immense contribution and functioning under much poorer conditions??
* Radhakrishan Laishram ( an ex student of Sainik School) writes to e-pao.net for the first time
He can be contacted at radhakrishan.laishram(at)gmail(dot)com
This article was webcasted on April 26th, 2009.
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