Imphal, September 28: The All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM) sponsored Caucus 2007 under the theme, "One Day Academic Session on Manipur Tribals: Today and Tomorrow" was successfully held on September 27 at Kuki Inn, Imphal, according to the ATSUM Information and Publicity Secretary Joseph R Hmar.

The ATSUM leader claimed that more than 300 delegates from all federal units, Manipur University, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), MIT, etc turned up for the programme.

Joseph R Hmar further stated that besides an extensive seminar paper presented by Prof Gangmumei Kamei on the topic ��Manipur Tribal Areas Administration�Today and Tomorrow, a panel discussion on 'The State of Tribal Education in Manipur' was organised during the programme and made some important recommendations during the two sessions of the Caucus 2007.The first point recommendation was on school education.

The recommendation says that Caucus 2007 could not understand how the state Government work out the number of vacancies of teachers in Government schools of the hill districts.

"We therefore strongly demand that the Government give out a 'white paper' on the staff position�sanction posts, present strength on school wise, district wise and then all hill districts".

Caucus 2007 strongly suggests the involvement and participation of the local tribal population in the day to day functioning and administration including construction of school buildings and staff quarters in their villages.

It is also suggested that communitization of primary education in the tribal areas as a part of decentralization policy and the local villagers having the power to issue leaf of absence, detain or release the salaries of teachers and initiate action for further recruitment of new teachers or termination of teachers by the higher authorities.

The seminar expresses with regret that the much publicised Sarva Shikshya Abhiyan (SSA) project is not facilitating education, primary level in particular as anticipated.

It is therefore felt that the State Government reviews the whole scheme with inputs from inside and outside the Government.

Caucus 2007 also strongly reiterated the recommendation of Caucus 2005 that reads, "In view of the Government induced decline in the quality of education in the hills of Manipur the certain points have been recommended for the Government to take up in order to redeem itself for failing the hill peoples in their right to education which which include opening of one Model Primary School and one Model Junior High School in each of the blocks of every sub-division of hill district, (for administrative and infra-structural requirements/ convenience the two may be clubbed as one in one campus), opening of one Model High-Residential school in each Assembly Constituency in the hill area.

These MH-R-schools should be run and funded on the lines of the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV), opening of one Model Higher secondary-Residential school in each of the Hill districts.

These MHS-R schools should share many key infrastructures and facilities with the High Residential schools or Colleges that already exist in the district headquarters.

This year's ATSUM sponsored caucus still strongly felt the need for the Govt to club together school and college education under one department.

On the higher education front it nsists that 33 percent reservation for SC/STs in all appointment, promotion and admission for various courses must be followed in Manipur University for all time to come.

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