IMPHAL, June 16: State Education Minister M Okendro has called for an explanation from the Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs) who were absent today from the one day state level sensitization program, a mandatory training program for untrained elementary teachers held at the Multipurpose-Hall of Directorate of State Council of Education Research and Training Centre (SCERT), Lamphelpat.
The Minister attended the program as chief guest with MLA RK Anand, MLA D Korungthang, MLA kikhonbou Newmai and SCERT Commissioner P Vaiphai, as president and guests of honour respectively.
Giving his keynote address, Commissioner P Vaiphei said that the mandatory training for the untrained elementary teachers is being held for those who don’t possess minimum qualification laid down by the National Council for Teachers’ Education (NCTC) to acquire the minimum profession qualification of two years diploma in elementary education or any other equivalent qualification prescribed by NCTC for the untrained elementary teachers who were recruited after September 2001 to fulfill the mandatory Act of RTI section 23 SCERT. Manipur state has tied up with IGNOU for clearing 7150 backlog of untrained elementary school teachers within the year 2015 through open distance learning mode under IGNOU Manipur Regional centre and the training session will commence from July, he said.
Minister M Okendro, speaking at the function said that DIET centres have been set up in all the districts of the state except in Imphal East district.
The state government will set up DIET centres in Imphal East very soon. He also said that these DIET centers need improvement to serve better. He also said that the state education department will also look upon the private schools in the state to check whether they are following the norms provided under the Right to Information Act.