Unfair practices still rampant in government schools, say Dimapur students

Dimapur, July 8 (EMN): The Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) has expressed disappointment and concern over “innumerable unfair and imbalanced practices prevailing in the schools and the district education office”.

In a press release issued on Friday, the student body said it found out during a surprise checking of all the government schools under Dimapur district that many schools still practice proxy teaching and misuse government funds.

An official of the DNSU informed this newspaper that it started conducting a surprise inspection of all government schools in Dimapur in February this year before completing it this month.

Skewed teacher-student ratio

The student body found out during its surprise checking that many government schools in Dimapur still keep substitute teachers. It added that “most schools have very low teachers’ attendance records and some schools even failed to produce the teachers’ attendance register when inquired upon”.

This is despite attempts made by the Education department to crack down on proxy teachers in Nagaland.

The union also noticed that ‘some schools have excess teachers due to unnecessary appointment, resulting in an imbalance in teachers-students ratio’.

Poor infrastructure and fund misuse

Some government primary and middle schools were not children-friendly, it said, citing ‘poor infrastructure that often causes floods during the rainy season, lack of basic school equipment, no teaching-learning aids, and a total failure of implementation of schemes and projects for the welfare of the students’.

The student body claimed that even the centrally-sponsored PM-POSHAN or mid-day meal scheme, which is provided on all working days to improve the nutritional status of students in government, government-aided and local body schools, is not executed as per the provisions of the programme.

‘It is reported that the officials/staff from the DEO office deducts certain amount from schools in every quarterly disbursement of the mid-day meal,’ alleged the DNSU, terming it as “irrational and inappropriate on the part of the concerned office”.

“The educational career of uncountable children and students is at risk of such malpractices; it is a serious alarm that cannot be ignored and left unattended,” it stated.

It also expressed dismay over its finding that government schools are yet to dispatch school uniforms to students for this academic year- 2022. It went on to allege that the uniforms supplied in the previous years were of poor quality and the sizes would “fit only babies (sic)”.

Pressing issues overlooked

Expressing its utter disappointment over the failure of the government to enhance infrastructure in schools under Dimapur district and overlooking the issue despite the urgency and availability of funds, the student body said there too many unattended issues concerning the students in the district and “it is only getting worse”.

The Union also said that all the government schools in the district need counselors and special needs educators for students who need assistance.

‘How long will the student community suffer the consequences of the incompetence of the department of School Education in Dimapur district? Why are the government officials and heads of offices in the concerned department playing safe with their blame games instead of executing their duties and responsibilities towards the schools?’ asked the union.

Appeal to concerned authorities

While maintaining that it won’t turn a blind eye to the appalling condition and distress faced by schools across the district, the union appealed to the concerned department and the state government to “stop being self-centered and act ignorant” but provide necessary requirements to schools and sincerely work towards uplifting the students.

It also urged to ‘start implementing children-friendly infrastructures and create the student-friendly environment in all the government schools in the district’.

‘DNSU also reminds the headmasters/teacher in-charges of all the schools to maintain proper records of teachers’ attendance and take responsibility accordingly,’ it stated.

It went on to say that it will “confront” if the schools, department of school education and government ignore its appeal.