Dimapur, December 7 (MExN): Finding that the department of School Education allegedly gave misinformation on the protracted dragging ‘bogus teachers scam’ issue, the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) is putting its foot down and has warned that it is ready to take to the streets. The NSF has demanded answers why teachers already found dubious by probe would still be ‘entertained’ by the department and the fact that charge-sheet have already been ‘proposed’ since a year ago against officers and those who were involved.
The NSF also denounced the department for giving time to the so-called “aggrieved teachers” who are ‘carrying out undemocratic means to remain in the service’ while depriving genuine teachers. The NSF issued a copy of a representation addressed to the Commissioner & Secretary for School Education, where the organization posed serious questions for the department to respond to, at the earliest. The NSF said it is taking a “final stance” and has demanded immediate action in the larger interest of the students’ community.
School Education told to answer
The NSF’s representation stated – “The issue of bogus teachers appointment scam in your department has become long overdue to be solved. Enough diplomatic steps have also been taken by the NSF to see that the entire issue reaches a logical conclusion. However, it is regretted that the Education Department has been flip-flopping on it giving numerous excuses as to why all those teachers with fake educational certificates, appointment orders with forged signatures, ghost teachers etc. and all the erring officers could not be terminated entirely.”
Even after the failure to fulfill the charter of five demands within 45 days which expired on 2nd October 2, 2011, the NSF said it “officially attended your office several times with our principle demand.” The NSF has demanded an answer from the department why effective and permanent action could not be taken against those involved in the crime.
Referring to what the NSF said in the commissioner’s reply on August 17, 2011 the representation said it is “least satisfactory” as none of the students’ charter of demands were met with. “You have mentioned that you have ‘already terminated 84 teachers’ with fake educational certificates, appointment orders with forged signature, fake appointment orders and absentee teachers. However, as per SIT report there are 251 such teachers. Why and what is the reason or difficulty in terminating the rest of the teachers?”
Likewise, the department claimed that 336 such teachers were ‘issued termination orders.’ However, the number does not tally at all, the NSF said: “This again does not tally with the number of teachers detected by the NSF through reliable sources.
Why the appointments of teachers with fake certificates were entertained by the department? What is their status and why such an action has been initiated to accommodate them?”
The organization said it cannot “comprehend” the idea of issuing show-cause notices to those teachers who have been detected by the SIT; that in the first place they got into service by “irregular means,” the NSF said. “When it is found that the teachers got into service through illegal means then, that reason is strong enough to immediately terminate them,” the NSF said, reiterating widespread sentiments of the pubic.
The organization also expressed strong exasperation that the department has been ‘buying time and it has also given time to the so-called “aggrieved” teachers “to carry out undemocratic means to remain in the service” while depriving genuine teachers of their share.
Another concern the NSF aired was “how many more verification committees are needed for the Education department to find out and terminate those teachers?” The more such committees the department set up, the NSF reminded, the technical process to terminate the teachers will get complicated. “Eventually, the teachers will get their service secured whereas the future of the students will remain insecure as they will be taught by unqualified teachers,” NSF said. A year has lapsed since the Special Investigation Team of the Vigilance Commission ‘proposed charge sheet’ for officers and teachers involved in the scam. “The excuse now given by your department is that the Vigilance Commission has not yet sent specific request for sanction of prosecution. This is the blame game orchestrated by the authorities to buy time,” the NSF said.
The NSF warns the government and the department – “All good time to solve the entire bogus teachers’ appointment scam has run out so is the patience of the NSF running out waiting for the authorities to bring the issue to a close. Consequent upon the failure the Department in complying to the charters of demand, the NSF would no more be in a position to tolerate the delays and would take up the issue to the street in the interest of the students community whose future are at stake.”
