R Lester Makang
UKHRUL, October 7: It is always the way that majority of students of our State and their parents give local educational institutions — irrespective of private or government-run ones — short shrift and opt for colleges/universities in bigger cities without any compunction while down-playing the very prospect of pursuing their studies in their own home State.
Against the backdrop of this scenario that is prevailing far and wide in the state, the Zingtun Tangkhul Katamnao Long (Western Tangkhul Students`™ body- ZTKL) has called for a paradigm shift in the mind set of the people and efforts toward reforming the existing educational system in the district.
`It is imperative that we develop a true sense of ownership as far as our local educational institutions are concerned so that we may become educationally self reliant in our own place,` asserted AC Thotso, president of ZTKL during a press conference held at 25 degree hotel, Phungreitang on Tuesday evening last.
Further, evoking the significance of the old saying `the grass is greener on the other side`, he said that most of us tend to presume that educational facilities are much better outside while ignoring the same infrastructures available in our own institutions while terming it as misconception. `The only difference lies in the fact that both the local and concerned authorities are not bothered or doing enough to improve the existing institutions in our place.`
Advocating the need for turnaround in existing education system, Thotso also stressed that concerted efforts should be made towards attracting learners to local institutions by way of streamlining various facilities at par with those of cities.
Meanwhile, ZTKL has conveyed that the felicitation-cum-seminar which was earlier slated for 10-11 October 2014 has been differed to 17-18 October on account of certain exigencies. The programme aims to draw mass participation in deliberating upon education reformation apart from creating an opportunity to facilitate over a dozen of successful candidates of various civil service examinations who hail from Western Ukhrul.