Newmai News Network
Imphal | August 17
The State Government of Manipur is planning to install biometrics attendance machines in Government schools as a part of measures to check malpractices including the issue of substitute teachers.
"Like in Manipur Police department, the State Government is in active consideration to install biometrics attendance machines in Government schools to ensure presence of teachers at their posting places," said Manipur Chief Minister, N Biren Singh on August 17.
According to the Chief Minister, he received information, though not confirmed, regarding "sending substitutes by some teachers."He asked such teachers to immediately stop such malpractices if they are really indulging in it.
Meanwhile, in what could be called as a historic move of the State Government of Manipur, foundation stones for improvement of 60 Government schools under 'School Fagathansi' mission (Let us improve school mission) were laid at different places of the State on Saturday.
The main function was held at the Cabinet Hall of the Chief Minister's Secretariat, where Singh interacted with the dignitaries and officials present at seven different schools through video conferencing. During the interaction, he directed the School Fagathansi Mission Management Committees to work sincerely and ensure completion of improvement works within three months.
Singh said that the State Government had taken up the initiative of 'School Fagathansi' mission to give a renewed thrust towards overall improvement of Government schools in terms of physical and manpower infrastructural gaps and also to increase in enrollment in the Government schools.
He stressed that feedback gathered through his Government's 'Go to Village' and 'Go to Hills' missions had been an important input for the Government to mend certain gaps and factors hindering development in the State.
Singh also appreciated the Education Minister, Education (S) Department, teachers and general public for their efforts and cooperation in making the initiation a success.
He informed that adequate number of motivated and committed lecturers/teachers would be posted in these model schools.
Once a teacher is posted in these schools, he or she would stay there for at least 3 years, he said. Additional infrastructures like classrooms, decent school campus, sufficient school furniture, outdoor gymnasium, separate toilets for boys and girls, drinking water facilities among other basic standards as per the Right to Education norms will be provided at the schools, he added.
He also expressed happiness that most MLAs had shown willingness to contribute some portion of their Local Area Development Funds towards improvement of these schools.
Meanwhile, a proposal for financial assistance had been submitted to the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) for infrastructure improvement of remaining around 2000 Government schools of the State as well, he added.
It may be mentioned that the Chief Minister launched the 'School Fagathansi' mission at a function held at Yumnam Huidrom Government High School, Wangoi in Imphal West district on January 18 this year. Under the mission one High or Higher Secondary School in each Assembly Constituency was selected in the first phase. The schools shall have classes from Pre-Primary to Class X or Class XII, except in nine schools. Enrollment in Government schools is targeted to increase from 26,000 at present to around 44,000 in the next academic session.
Chief Secretary, Dr J Suresh Babu, Additional Chief Secretaries, Dr Suhel Akhtar and Letkhogin Haokip, Principal Secretaries Rakesh Ranjan and Vumlunmang Vualnam, Commissioner (Education-S) T Ranjit Singh, Commissioners Kh Raghumani Singh, Bobby Waikhom and M Joy Singh, Director (Education-S) Th Kirankumar and officials of Education Department among others attended the foundation laying ceremony.
