JIRIBAM, August 9: A team of media persons went on a trip to Jiribam Barak Circle and found most teachers posted to the area absent from their respective schools.
This has been witnessed few days after student bodies of the sub-division calmed down their agitation following government assurance to appoint more teachers for the sub-division.
This has led to the general perception among the people of the area that the lack of teachers faced by the sub-division could be minimised if the already posted teachers were sincere enough to attend to their schools regularly.
The media team also witnessed that the practice of teacher subletting to locals in the circle was rampant.
The zonal education officer who seemed to be aware of the practice has however decided to remain silent on the issue.
The team also found that several schools were deprived of even the basic facilities like furniture and safe drinking water facilities.
During a visit to the Choudhurikhal LP School, the team found none of the government appointed teachers were present.
Villagers said the school is supposed to be looked after by a teacher identified as Kesab Babu.
They told the media that he has never return to the school after subletting his post to another person identified as Ramchoulo of Sagolphai village.
The media team also witnessed the students of the school drinking water from the springs coming from nearby hill-slopes in the absence of proper water facility in the school.
The situation was similar in most other schools where too locals were found teaching the students after the government posted teachers had sublet their posts.
At Borobekra LP School, the media team found two local teaching the students in place of the original government appointed teachers.
One of the two local teachers identified himself as M Mani Singh. He said he has been engaged since 2004 and received around Rs 2500 monthly. The other teacher identified himself as M Dipan Singh and said he has been teaching since 2013 December.
Principal in charge of the school, S Joy said since the teachers were absent he had to take the service of the locals for the students.
He said a teacher of the school Timnei Kim Baite who is from Chandel district has absent since the last three years.
Barak Brothers Union chairperson Kh Rajesh Singh told the media team that there is no knowing whether the replacement teachers are qualified or not.
He further appealed to the concerned authorities to look into the issue at the earliest.
The ZEO, Jiribam also failed to provide proper information when asked about how many teachers were posted in the lower and high schools of the Barak Circle and how many of them were present at their posting schools.
However, an official on conditions of anonymity told the team that although there is an official copy stating the number of teachers posted in the area, most of them would not be present at their posted schools as certain officers have been utilising the teachers according to their wishes.
Additional DC, Jiribam Harmit Singh Pahuja on being asked of the issue, acknowledged that he had heard of the ZEO utilising teachers according ‘local adjustment’, however, an official order would be soon issued asking the teachers to return to their respective postings.
He also assured that he will be inspecting the schools at the earliest.