Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 08:
Denouncing the State Government's policy of rationalising the transfers and postings of teachers under the Education Department as �a pretentious and hypocritical approach�, All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) has said not just rationalisation of teachers, but rationalisation of schools' infrastructure and appointment of adequate teaching and non-teaching staff are the only remedial measures in the present condition.
It would be a big blunder if one thinks that rationalisation of teachers postings and transferring a large number of teachers will simply bring a dramatic improvement in the education system, particularly in the hill districts, ATSUM president John Pulamte and general secretary Samson Remei said in a joint statement.
The joint statement observed that rationalisation of schools on the basis of the strength of existing students alone would again be a miscalculation as this would create more problems rather than solving them.
Can anybody identify any Government schools in the hills where the basic amenities have been maintained and taken care of by the Government, not to think of lack of science laboratories and library facilities?, ATSUM asked.
It further posed how many of us are sure that just by transferring hundreds of teachers to the hills will automatically improve the present crisis.
The rationalisation policy of the State Government will definitely belie the aspirations of the hill peoples as the said approach is unlikely to work as anticipated as it has already failed to address the basic issues of education- students, infrastructures and teachers, ATSUM observed and added that it is advisable for the State Government to first give a thought on why there are no students in many Govt schools.
ATSUM finds it hard to believe and expect a radical improvement in the education system within a short period from a Dept that has consecutively failed to provide even enough text books for students.
One need not be reminded that the rationalisation process has taken 6 months to complete and still the exact number of staff and students in all Government Schools could not be ascertained till date, it added.
Meanwhile, in another memorandum submitted to Minister of Health, Family Welfare, Labour and Employment, the students' bo- dy demanded a high level inquiry into why the Govt order for reservation of seats for tribal students in PG course was deliberately kept side from publication in official gazette for nine long years.