DESAM's inspection exposes mismanagement
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 11 2011: Financial irregularities and mis-management by authorities of Education Department have been alleged by heads of institutions of some model schools to an inspection team of Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) .

Interacting with the DESAM team in the presence of mediapersons, some of the heads of institutions and teaching staff members of model schools revealed that admission fees had been collected from students inspite of the model school norms clearly stating that education in such institution should be free of cost.

Moreover, it came to light that without actual receipt of fund some heads of institutions were asked to sign in official documents confirming receipt of fund provision for acquiring various materials.

At the said inspection visit of some model schools located in and around the twin capital district today, Head Mistress M Gambhini of Wangkhei High School disclosed that at a meeting convened by the Director (Education) heads of seven model schools were asked to put their signatures on various receipts.

Revealing that the receipts related to possession/provision of furniture and sports materials and 'actual payee receipt', Gambhini denied having received any payment under the 'actual payee receipt' amounting to Rs 1.50 lakhs.

The said amount was supposed to be provided by the Government for expenditures related to examination, magazine, science exhibition and internal excursion.

At the meeting held earlier in January this year, the Education Director allegedly asked all the heads of institutions (model schools) to put their signatures without which withdrawal of the fund provision would be invalidated, the head mistress said while adding that she is yet to receive the actual payment.

Further stating that construction work of Wangkhei High School is being carried out under the purview of the Education Department, Gambhini said pointed to the dusty cycle shed, which was reportedly constructed at a total fund provision of Rs 10 lakhs, to air her dissatisfaction.

Even though 40 computers (laptops) have been provided to the School these items are of no use to the students due to erratic power supply, said the head mistress conceding that an allocation of Rs 50,000 was received during the 2010 academic session for acquisition of school materials.

For the same academic session Rs 250 was levied as admission fee from each student for which process is underway to reimburse the collected amount, she said while claiming that intimation to Education Department authority for filling up vacant posts of assistant headmaster and other teaching staff remain unfulfilled.

Wangkhei High School with a total strength of 176 students studying in class VI to X, has 14 teaching staff.

At Keishamthong High School, where the Principal was found absent today, some teaching staff members said there are 192 students and 21 teachers, including four primary teachers.

Upgraded to a model school in 2009, Keishamthong HS authority collected Rs 100 each as admission fee from each of the students and till date there is no relevant procedure for refunding the fee amount.

As per provision of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, school uniforms were provided to the students from classes VI to VIII but the attires only fit some students of class VI with the rest rendered useless, claimed the teachers and wryly remarked that despite the uniform not matching the prescribed colour of the school uniform the Government provision is being followed.

In addition of the school facing the same problem of erratic power supply resulting in about 40 of the laptops remaining unused, the school has also no computer teacher.

Winding up the inspection for the day, DESAM secretary general M Angamba said with the vision of providing quality education free of cost, the Government of Manipur clustered Ningthoukhong, Lamding, Wangkhei, Keishamthong, Liwa Chaning (chandel), Raphei (Ukhrul) and Gandhi Memorial (churachandpur) high schools as model schools.

For various infrastructure development works of these model schools, the Government sanctioned over Rs 5.67 crores during the 2009-2010 session, he said while citing the dusty condition of cycle shed of Wangkhei High School to substantiate his contention that infrastructure development work do not commensurate with the allocated amount.

Taking serious note of levying admission fee from the students inspite of Model School guidelines clearly suggesting that there should be education on free of cost model, Angamba regretted that the noble project has been reduced to a state of mockery.

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