Seeks early redressal of GHSS Phek issue
Phek, August 8 (MExN): The growing lackadaisical attitude of the Government Department/machineries to the plight of the people who are left with no option but to resort to submission of ultimatum and agitations for the fulfillment of their basic needs cam “can degenerate our society and invite anarchy,” a dismayed Phek Town Public Forum (PTPF) stated on Monday.
“This is a worrisome trend which is becoming more like a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the Government,” according to a press release from PTPF President Khosapa Venuh.
In the release, Venuh stated that the Forum does not advocate the use of force or violence in any form as a means to resolve any situation; “However, it has come to our understanding that the repeated appeals and letters submitted by the Phek Town Youth Society and the Phek Town Chakhesang Students’ Union to the Department of education to improve and redress the pathetic conditions of the department and the teaching staffs at Government Higher Secondary School Phek went unheard by the competent authorities.”
This, he maintained, led the Phek Town Youth Society to serve an ultimatum to the Department of School Education with a list of demand and shutting down the school as a last resort agitation.
“The Phek Town Public Forum and frontal organisations fully support the Phek Town Youth Society and the Phek Town Chakhesang Students’ Union in the effort to ensure quality education to the students and the future generation,” it maintained.
It also made reference to articles published in the local dailies on October16, 2020 where the Advisor for School Education KT Sukhalu has stated that there was an excess of 11000 teachers in the state, and then on November 25, 2021 where the Chief Minister stated that there was an excess of 10000 teachers, and that the student-teacher ratio which should be at 1:25, stood at 1:10 in Nagaland.
In this connection, the Forum questioned the Department for the disappearance of those excess teachers and also “why there should be shortage of teachers at GHSS Phek Town, when there are lots of excess teachers in Nagaland.”
In addition, the Forum alleged that “there are also teachers posted to GHSS Phek without physical presence,” and questioned the department as to why the sanctioned posts for GHSS Phek are extracted to feed other schools. “Why should the students be taxed for incurring the salaries of the two private teachers to cover the syllabus when they should be availing free education from the Government institutions,” it further questioned.
It said that the agitation itself was adversely affecting the students, necessitating the intervention of the Forum in the matter. It expressed hope that the competent authorities of the department would be wise in recognising the matter as genuine and redress the demands at the earliest in the interest of the students, lest the matter escalates to extreme level.
