Emerging new market for toppers ?
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 30 2011: To enhance their reputation and attract more students, there is growing suspicion over the prevalence of a new strategy of 'buying' toppers in class X by offering upto Rs 2 lakh in some private Higher Secondary Schools in Manipur.

In addition to this new culture of 'buying' toppers, the craze for seeking admission in private schools, which have undoubtedly been producing the best students, has led to the downfall of Government schools, which otherwise have become the only refuge for students from remote areas and poor families.

According to informations gathered from different sources, in some private Higher Secondary Schools, the tuition fee, hostel fee, admission fee and even the fee for hiring private tutors and fare for Van service are being provided to students who get higher scores in Class X examination.

In the name of encouraging good students, most private Higher Secondary Schools normally adopt such tactics of exempting the tuition fee, admission fee and the cost on other materials required by the students and this is something known to everyone.

However, in addition to attracting students with such freebies, there is also another strategy, not quite known to all, of 'buying' toppers in class X examination offering anywhere between Rs 1 to Rs 2 lakhs, sources said.

When The Sangai Express met the Principals of some private as well as Government Higher Secondary schools in this connection, they observed that the suspicion could not be written off completely.

Dr K Nabachandra, the Principal of Herbert School located at Ghari, which is one of the private Higher Secondary Schools of repute and produced the highest number of toppers in the class XII examination this year, said that he has also heard about the unhealthy trend of some private higher secondary schools offering Rs 1 lakh or 2 to toppers in class X for admission in their respective schools.

Although he did not name any of the schools, Dr Nabachandra maintained that it is something being talked about by everyone today.

This is an unhealthy trend as this practice virtually reduces education to some sort of a business and the students as commodities, Dr Nabachandra said, adding that this does not auger well for the future of education and students in Manipur.

Speaking of the practices in his school, Dr Nabachandra said that apart from exempting tuition and admission fee of students who are in the top ten positions in matriculation and come to seek admission in Herbert School, there is no other concession.

However, if the student is very good in study and happens to come from very poor family, then there is room for consideration, Dr Nabachandra disclosed.

As the Principal of Herbert School, Dr Nabachandra said that he is very happy about the fact that there are 10 students from his school among the top 20 position holders of the class XII examination, the results of which was declared yesterday, and since 2008, no students of the school have failed in the class XII examination.

L Kamakhyakumar, the principal of Human Resource Development (HRD) Academy, also located in Ghari, pointed out that it is duty of the teachers to dedicate themselves in educating the students and the students in turn should listen to their teachers and try to become good students.

So, apart from the joint efforts of the school authorities, teachers and students in producing good students and enhancing the reputation of the school, it would be very unfortunate if the trend of buying good students to enhance the reputation of the school is here to stay, Kamakhyakumar said, adding that he too have heard about the rumours of offering money to meritorious students for admission but he is not quite sure.

Kama-khyakumar said he is happy that a student from his school has topped in the Council examination this year.

Principal of Government run CC Higher Secondary School S Indrani said that the number of good students coming to seek admission in Government Higher Secondary Schools has come down significantly over the years with most of them preferring private Higher Secondary schools.

Admission in Government schools is supposed to be conducted on the basis of mark.

But with all the highest mark scorers preferring admission in private schools despite the cost involved, not many students are left who could be considered admission on the basis of mark in Government schools, Indrani pointed out.

At one time, CC Higher Secondary School was one of the best schools producing many good students.

But today, it could not achieve the same feat as the number of good students coming for admission is few.

In the results of the class XII examination which was announced yesterday, it was expected that at least some students would feature among the position holders.

But not more than one student has lived up to the expectation.

Out of 101 students who have given the examination in science stream, only 67 of them passed while in the Art stream, 81 of them including one position holder have passed out of 83 and 18 out of 41 students in Commerce stream.

The overall pass percentage is 73.78, the principal conveyed.

L Indu, Vice Principal of Johnstone Higher Secondary, which was one of the best educational institutions not just in Manipur but also in the entire North East region at one time, lamented that none of the students who passed matric in first division have come for admission.

Indu opined that one of the main reasons for poor show of Government schools in the examination results is because only students who are below the cut off mark for admission in private schools or could not afford the cost in private schools have been coming to the Government schools.

Among the present lot of students in the Government schools, there many who could not even afford to purchase text books.

On top of this, there is also the problem of lack of required infrastructures.

Indu also said that she is aware of the rumour about offering money to toppers of class X for admission in some private higher secondary schools.

But she have not come across any cases personally.

Whatever it may be for, there has to be something behind the curtain in providing everything for free in education, Indu added.

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