Zunheboto, April 24 (MExN): Why is there degradation and decrease in enrollment in government schools in Nagaland?
Among many others, the Zunheboto Range Students' Union (ZRSU) has identified four main contributors - proxy teaching and irregularities of teachers; random transfer of teachers in the middle of the academic session; lack of proper infrastructure; and lack of subject teachers.
According to the ZRSU, these factors were identified during its 1st phase of Education tour within Zunheboto area and Zunheboto Town recently.
The tour, undertaken for three consecutive weeks, covered 34 government schools, including primary, middle and high schools, the union informed in a press release.
It was initiated as a mission to “eradicate proxy teaching and to examine the overall growth and development of Government schools,” it said.
The schools were found to be in a “pathetic” state. There are no proper classrooms, school kitchen, toilet and drinking water facilities, while some schools do not have classroom partitions, the ZRSU claimed.
Even the schools’ locations are not feasible in some areas, it said.
In its part, the ZRSU informed that the union has sent out individual notices to all erring and irregular teachers employing the “unethical and ill practice of proxy teaching” to join their duty with immediate effect.
The union shall be prompted to take further course of action against them, it added.
It also appealed the concerned teachers to be sincere and dedicated in their duties, while reminding them of their moral responsibilities as they play “crucial roles in shaping the present society and the future generations.”
The ZRSU also urged the State Government and the concerned department to give significant emphasis on the infrastructure of government schools.
Stop the “unethical culture” of ‘attachment’ of some teachers with legislators, bureaucrats and in some offices, which degrade the morale of other earnest and dedicated teachers, it further appealed.
The department should also stop the random transfer of teachers on the basis of their social and political inclination as it is directly leading to the degradation of government schools, it added.
The ZRSU also informed that salary of the teachers are pending for quite a long time and requested the State Government to release their enumeration on time to allow “teachers to perform their duties effectively and to relieve them from further inconvenience and grievances.”
Expressing dissatisfaction with the functioning of the District and Sub-Divisional Education Offices (DEOs & SDEOs), the also appealed both offices to function more effectively and systematically; and to oversee the development of schools under its jurisdiction.
The union is astonished and anguished over the irregularities and non presence of officers in those offices, it said.
It further argued that SDEOs and DEOs should be posted atleast for a minimum period of two or more years.
It also asked the concerned department to ensure that “funds and materials meant for the government schools are disbursed without any misappropriation.”
“Any loopholes and siphoning of funds and materials for individual benefit shall not be acceptable and tolerated,” it said.
Further the ZRSU appealed all Goan Buras, School Management Committees (SMCs), leaders and village elders to oversee whether schools are functioning effectively and systematically.
