Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, JANUARY 30
In a case of serious lapse in administration, several Government Middle Schools (GMS) which were upgraded to Government High Schools (GHS) by the state government under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) during 2010-11 are reportedly yet to see any follow-up action by the authorities to equip the upgraded schools.
According to records made available to the media here on Saturday by reliable sources, some of the upgraded schools in Kohima district lack basic facilities considered prerequisite for any high school. One of these “so called upgraded” schools, GHS New Market, an erstwhile GMS which is considered to be the second oldest school in the state capital, is yet to have any teacher deputed for high school level students. Also, it has been learnt that while the community has acquired land for construction of the upgraded GHS, what appears to be a tussle between two parties of contractors for allotment of work, had delayed the process even further.
When contacted, a member of the school management said the upgraded schools were asked to start Classes IX and X as per a government directive despite constraints in accommodation facilities and non-deputation of teachers. In the case of GHS New Market, the Ward Education Committee (WEC) reportedly complied and started Class IX in 2013 by renting a private building to accommodate the new class and since then, teachers of GMS section have been manning the upgraded class.
It was also informed that due to poor results in the final examinations, the WEC in 2015 went to the extent of hiring a private teacher to teach the Class IX students.
The story does not end there, as the students who pass out from the school’s Class IX standard are said to continuously face difficulty in finding admission to Class X in other schools. The New Market Area Panchayat has also written to the RMSA mission director in May 2015 highlighting the plight of the school authorities and the students and also requested to urge upon the concerned contractor to facilitate the completion of the new school building before the commencement of the 2016 academic session on priority. However, it was reported that not a single stone was turned in that direction leaving aside a site levelling work which was done in the early part of 2015. And now, with the new academic session starting off soon, the school management members are apprehensive that if the prevailing situation continues then the students will definitely continue to suffer.
They are also baffled whom to blame- the state government, school education department, the RMSA authorities or the contractors who filed cases and counter case in the court for allotment of work, prolonging the situation. Whatever the case, the ultimate loss is suffered by the students and the burden for management goes to the community.
There are five other upgraded GHS in Kohima district which also come under the same construction work allotment as the GHS New Market, it was learnt. The other GHS are in Mezoma, Dihoma, Khonoma, Tseminyu New and Jakhama. However, the management board of these schools could not be contacted for their respective status.
