Exclusion of Private Schools Teachers from HSLC Examination

Sanjenbam Jugeshwor Singh *

It has been reported in leading local papers on 5th February 2019 that Manipur Private Schools Association along with the parents of the students in private schools will go on General Strike from the mid-night of 10th February 2019 to the mid-night of 12th February 2019 . This was announced by one leader of the Association in a press meet at Manipur Press Club 0n 4th February 2019 .

According to the reports in local papers ,the Association has taken this decision in protest against the exclusion of the Private Schools from being Examination Centres and none of the Private School teachers will be engaged in the HSLC Examination works like invigilation and paper evaluation starting from the forthcoming Examination by the Board Of Secondary Education Manipur(BOSEM).

Members of the Association expressed their resentment as the examination will be conducted only by the Government School teachers. The Association claimed that Private Schools are the custodians of producing good and talented students in Manipur.

Association further claimed that Private Schools have been taking led role to maintain the sustainable quality education in Manipur saying that 90% of the students appearing HSLC examination are from Private Schools. Their apprehensions, mainly seems to be - if the Examination is conducted by Govt. School teachers without Private school teachers, rank 1 to 25 in HSLC Examination will be snatch away by the Government Schools students which will tarnish the image of Private Schools.

By doing so Government is trying to demolish all the Private Schools under BOSEM. The Association also threatens the Government that if Government vis-à-vis BOSEM don't comply with its demand, all the Private Schools under Manipur Govt/BOSEM will be affiliated to CBSE.

This is the statement expressed in resentments by Private Schools Association amidst counter-claimed by another group of the Association in presence of a student body on 5th February in a press meet.

Voice of different tune is now coming out from general public. According to general public though few of the statement of the Private School Association are found genuine but their core complaint regarding exclusion from HSLC examination is very much misleading and highly contradictory from making quality education as they claimed.

As they said, they are the custodian of quality education in Manipur. From this unethical statement of the Association, people from many angles started asking many questions to the Association. Some of the questions from the public are: -

(i) What's wrong that BOSEM takes its own decision for smooth conduct of the Examination?
(ii) Why Private School teachers are so keen to take part in the examination and examination works?
(iii) Will the performance of their students be down if their teachers are not in the Examination halls? If so, how & why?
(iv) Do they believe that the performance of their good students will be outshine if their teachers involved in examination works? If so how & why?
(v) How will the ranking in the Examination result be affected if Examination Centre are not given at Private Schools?
(vi) What will be the problems of their students in examination halls when their teachers are absent?
(vii) Can't they write well if they are taught well in their respective schools by their respective teachers?

General public further expressed – it's well known fact that Competitions of various kind which may be Mathematics, Science, Social Science, English etc conducted from time to time by certain Organization dedicated to bring up quality education Manipur.

These competitions are conducted without the teachers of the students (irrespective of Private or Govt.) taking part but talented and good students still outshine in it. Isn't true that good and talented students will write well anywhere even their teachers are not present in the examination hall? If it's not so, something is wrong with the students in his/her performance.

Isn't the sign of having poor self-confidence of the students induced by mugging system of teaching learning in these Schools? It's also a well-known fact that School toppers of many private Schools are kept in premier residential Coaching centres in Imphal after spending huge money(in spite of being taught in their respective schools by their respective teachers) in the aim of being among the toppers in HSLC result.

This in fact will be a fake end effort of the founders of Private Schools if their teachers are not involved in the Examination as well as in examination works (Voice of People).If any of their school student is among the top 25 then they will claim their School is excellent and admission in the next session will be a bumper admission.

Public also viewed that though some private schools provide good and quality education but majority of the private schools are commercializing the education and our children are their commercial commodities.

If Schools provides good and quality education to our children, there is nothing to do in the results with exclusion or inclusions of private schools teachers in HSCLC examination. So, let's stop giving such a cheap statement which will bring down the quality, integrity, moral and image of many highly qualify teachers of private schools (Voice of People).