Students from a Government Primary School seen in their classroom in a remote village under Tuensang district. Learning process for the young students in more than 2000 Government Primary Schools in Nagaland has been greatly affected due to delay in supply of textbooks to the students. (Photo: Imojen Jamir)
Lapse in delivery of primary texts book is a matter of corruption of most diabolical nature: ACAUT Nagaland
Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 13
The Department of School Education is in a thick soup with the textbooks for the Government Primary School section yet to reach the hands of the students.
The textbooks meant for the Government Primary School of class 1-4 has already been delayed for three months now, with the business firm responsible for the printing and supply of the study materials stalling again and again.
The last assurance provided by the firm, one ‘Unique Enterprise’ was to supply all the remaining consignment of the textbooks on or before April 10. This was informed by the Director and Additional Director of DoSE to The Morung Express on April 6, 2016 while mentioning that even a written assurance was received from the firm.
However, as on Wednesday, April 13, it was learnt that the textbook consignment was yet to be supplied.
A source from the District Education Office, Dimapur informed that the Additional Director of DoSE, who came down to Dimapur on Wednesday to meet the supplier and enquire on the delay, had to return to Kohima disappointed. He could not even meet the agent of the firm.
There are more than 2000 Government Primary Schools in Nagaland and they, sadly, continue to remain impaired without textbooks. This, while the first quarterly assessment is just around the corner.
According to norms of the government, any firm handling the printing and supply of school textbooks should provide the study materials from day one of the academic session.
It remains uncertain as to why the Nagaland State Government, or the Minister of School Education, continue to remain silent on the matter.
According to a primary school teacher, the firm engaged for supplying the textbooks apparently seems to be “least bothered” of the State Government or the students “as to when it will provide the study materials.”
DoSE officials had earlier washed their hands off the textbook issue while stating that “things were being handled by higher-ups.” It was also informed that the said firm handling the printing and publishing was reportedly recommended by the Education Minister.
According to an official of the Education Department, the issue of the delay of textbook is another manifestation of the cavernous corruption riddling the department. Textbooks for even classes 5-8 were supplied only in March.
“Citizens ought to be earnestly concerned and they should demand answers or file RTI on the department. The extent of corruption in the department is scary,” the official, on condition of anonymity, said.
ACAUT Nagaland for suo motu action
Meanwhile, Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland said the “incompetency and mismanagement” of the Education Department was becoming almost “legendary” only to be matched by the “legendary tolerance” of the Naga people.
Expressing worry that the children of Government Primary schools have still not received textbooks for the year 2016, when the first quarter of the year is almost over, ACAUT Media Cell in a press statement said “this lapse in delivery of primary texts book on time is a matter of corruption in most diabolical nature.”
It lamented that the Department of School Education (DoSE) has become a “sick department mired in every conceivable form of corruption- nepotism, back door appointment, non-payment of salary, mid-day meal scam, non-function of government schools, non- release of text books, bogus- proxy teachers etc.” In this, ACAUT urged the Nagaland Government to look into the matter with utmost urgency and initiate a thorough inquiry into it and take stringent action against those responsible for it, to ensure that future of children is not jeopardized.
It also noted that the State Vigilance Commission must take suo motu action over the matter, in order to show that it is indeed doing its job.
