IMPHAL, May 7: The Manipuri Students Federation has lashed out at the government for neglecting the welfare of the primary school students.
`Since the inception of the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, complete board prescribed text books have never been issued to any government school students. Hence, making a mockery of provision of free education under RTE` alleged MSF secretary general Maibam Bidyaraj Meetei speaking at a press meet in their office today.
He added `The government on the pretext of insufficient fund, is allocating a meager amount of Rs 150 for primary students and Rs 250 for upper primary students which could only cover the cost for half the syllabus`
Such apathy of the government is viewed as serious denial of rights under RTE and hence we appeal to the concern authority to address the issue immediately, he continued.
Meanwhile it has come to our notice that some private schools while diverging from the Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BOSEM)`™s official instruction dated December 31, 2014, on prescription of text books and publishers, are conveniently prescribing from other publishers, he observing stating that BOSEM should derecognized such private schools.`.
Bidyaraj explained, `The Board had prescribed Moral Science by Macmillian Publisher Pvt. India Ltd., New Delhi; Magic with Computers by Subhash Benchmark Books Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi and Mathematic Laboratory by Gita Publishing House, New Delhi for Primary and Upper Primary.`
We appeal to all private schools to immediately rectify the issue within May 10. Thereafter, we along with Pangal Students Association, Manipuri Nat Kanba Lup and All Manipur Art and Cultural Students Union would initiate a school to school drive to check compliance of the BOSEM`™s instruction, he warned.