EMN
Dimapur, February 14
Students in Longleng district are writing for the ongoing high school-leaving certificate board examinations even though most of them are from schools that do not have even subject teachers particularly of mathematics and science. This malady, a common issue in schools in Nagaland, was one of the several grievances raised by a students’ organization representing Longleng district. The Phom Students’ Conference (PSC) convened a meeting with officials of the district’s Education department, village education committees and associated village education agencies, and federating units of the students’ organization on February 10 in Longleng.
The meeting discussed at length ‘several problems’ and difficulties being face din the educational sector in the district, as well as to explore ways to impact “smooth functioning and strict implementation,” according to leaders of the Phom Students’ Conference on Saturday.
The student body highlighted a number of grievances to the education department. The ‘grievances’ included the perennial question of shortage of teachers in many government-run schools especially the need for mathematics and science teachers.
Leaders of the Phom Students’ Conference said it was “deeply grieved” to observe that students of many schools were writing for the high school leaving board examinations even after having no subject teacher.
This trend is ‘killing’ the career of thousands of students, the students’ organization said. Added to that problem were the lack of infrastructure and other basic school facilities, and the problem of proxy teachers.
The student organization has urged the department and education committees to strictly implement every educational policy and program. The students would render full co-operation and support towards rebuilding and strengthening the educational system in Longleng district ‘beginning from the grass root level,’ the PSC stated.
Also the students’ organization conducted a separate meeting with educational agencies of villages and gave them a brief of some resolutions the PSC had undertaken earlier which the agencies must strictly implement during the academic session of 2015.
“The conference reminded the committees and refreshed them of the various powers and functions and the several responsibilities vested in them. The meeting after a thorough deliberation jointly resolved the resolutions, failing to comply which the house unanimously agreed to initiate stern action,” the PSC informed in a press release issued on Saturday.
The resolutions include marking weekly attendance of teachers jointly by the students’ body and village education committee; initiating stern action against teachers ‘if found keeping proxy’ and inclusion of a student leader in the VEC, TEC, and WEC boards.
Another resolution was to conduct a monthly meeting of the VEC board and that should be strictly followed before a report of it is given to the organization.
A resolution more was to follow the “department routine strictly with regard to duration of class and other curricular and co-curricular activities.”
The organization has urged all the stakeholders to “firmly support the stand of the conference” and seek cooperation of all sections of the society for successful implementation of the programs and resolutions.
