IMPHAL, August 17: A team of the Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) accompanied by media persons inspected the Moirang Multipurpose Higher Secondary School today.
The school was found lacking on various fronts including shortage of teaching and non-teaching staffs, school building, toilet facilities and computers among others.
The student body team also met with the school principal, S Kumar, who citing the concerned minister and other officials said that all the requirements of the school will be fulfilled at the earliest.
He further lamented that the school has no other option other than wait for the government to act.
He pointed out that there are 111 students in Class IX comprising og two sections; 91 in Class X, comprising of two sections; 208 in Class XI Arts; 357 in Class XI Science; 37 in Class XI Commerce; 115 in Class XII Arts; 171 in Class XII Science and 17 in Class XII Commerce.
The total strength of the school is 1107 students, however there are only 14 regular lecturers and another 16 in contractual basis for the higher classes, he lamented.
Lamenting further on the lack of teachers in the school, he continued that there are eight graduate teachers for primary level out of which, four had been utilized to take classes in the higher classes, under the instruction of the government due to the present urgency.
The graduate teachers assigned in the higher classes include two for English and one for Chemistry, he said before adding that the school has received information that the government is ready to send some teachers to the school at the earliest.
The total staff requirement strength is 48 including both teaching and non-teaching staffs (laboratory attendants, LDCs, Librarians, etc), he added.
He also added that the laboratories of the school are not being updated and students had to be cramped up during practicals due to the space available.
Practicals had to be conducted in batches of 40 students in each batch, he complained and added that a batch needs at least a week to complete one experiment.
He continued that the most basic need that the students undergo in the school is the lack of proper toilet facilities.
The toilet facilities for girls are not enough as compared to the number of students and there is a need for more toilets, he said.
There are 40 computers available in the school of which 36 are working, he further complained.
He also mentioned that the maintenance fees collected on admission from the students are used in repairing the building but it is not sufficient and added that there is no financial help given from the side of the government except some funds under the RMSA.
Meanwhile speaking to media persons at the end of the tour, DESAM president, Wangmayum Islauddin said that the government should take up measures regarding the matter at the earliest.
The infrastructure, lack of teachers, laboratory facility, library, desk and benches and all the required infrastructure should be fulfilled as soon as possible, he said before adding that the concerned minister’s decision to encourage increase of students intake in govt schools is laudable, but the overloading of students without provision of proper facilities and infrastructure to the schools is highly unacceptable and amounts to violation of Rights to Education Act and should be dealt with strict measures, he lamented.
The government should try to make up before students take up different kinds of agitations which will become a big hurdle in bringing quality education in Manipur, he concluded.