Imphal, June 25: Education Minister Moirangthem Okendro stated that the Moirangpurel Government High School constructed under RMSA is a good benchmark of the Education Department.
“It is beyond expectations that buildings such as the Moirangpurel High School can be built from government funds. Credit must go to the hard work of local MLA Th Shyamkumar,” said the Education Minister while inaugurating the building of Moirang Purel High School on Wednesday.
Expressing that 60 MLAs have the responsibility to change the perceptions about government high schools, he said that the government is rationalizing teachers, placements and trying to fill vacancies in 12 high schools of the state.
“Vacancies of teachers in Moirangpurel High School will soon be filled and schools having 1000 plus students won’t lack teaching staffs. If government schools function on this trend, more students will come for enrolment than in private schools,” he assured.
Expressing hope that more students will come for enrolment next year, he said the teaching methods also needed to improve as the state has upgraded 116 schools to high schools including nine schools recently.
“The construction of the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya School in Andro is near complete and will soon be inaugurated in the interest of poor families and destitute students. The problem of the education department has been lessened by the hard work of the department and 800 primary teachers were promoted as graduate teachers after 20-30 years. Under Chief Minister Okram Ibobi’s initiative, the education sector is taken seriously and the post of Head Masters for 320 more high schools has been created. In the past, the system was such that teachers were made the Head Master-in-charge,” he said.
“The education department is going on a smooth track. Head Masters are appointed as DIs and AIs as rules and regulations don’t barred them from administrative duties. The Chief Minister has given approval for creating the post of DIs, AIs and ZEOs to recruit educated youths. There will be proper transfer poly statistics for education department. The stake holders and officials will discuss deeply on the matter and it will be implemented from next session. This will create smooth and equal rationalization of the transfer order too.”
Pointing out that 12 thousand students enrol for admission in government colleges indicating some changes in the education clime this year, he estimated that next year it might increase to 43 thousand students as under RUDSA, Manipur will have resident colleges in each hill and valley districts.
Andro MLA Th Shyamkumar said that Moirang Purel High School was established in 1950 as an UJB and was upgraded to a primary school in 1980, and with the Education Minister’s initiative was upgraded to a High School in 2011.
Continuing that only five to six students attended the school five years ago and the building was in a pitiable condition, he said people blamed the state government and education department for not taking care of government schools but, actually, it is the responsibility of the people to keep government schools in good condition.
“It is our aim to include at least seven students from Andro among the top ten position holders in 2017 matriculation examination. Now, the school has solar lamp facility with night classes. The government teachers are not enough for the teaching various subjects. So, private tutors are hired with a payment of rupees ten thousand as salary which is made possible with the assistance from the parents and youth to the school management committee of Andro,” he said.
Last year, the Andro Government School produced the third position holder and this year, the ninth position holder, he said, now, 5000 students from Imphal East have applied for admission into the school. But we can’t admit all the students as we lack good infrastructure