SDEO office, Longkhim found locked during USSC first phase education tour. (Photo Courtesy: USSC)
DIMAPUR, APRIL 21 (MExN): The United Sangtam Students’ Conference (USSC) on Friday lamented that government schools under its jurisdiction are struggling to provide quality education to students due to acute shortage of teachers and lack of adequate infrastructure.
These irregularities were detected during its 1st phase educational tour conducted in Longkhim-Chare area from April 13-23 with the principal aim of addressing any issues/complaints faced by the government schools, a press release issued by USSC president, Samuel B Sangtam and assistant general secretary, Tiakaba Sangtam stated.
The students’ body revealed that there is shortage of teachers in almost all the schools, with 90% of the educational institutions running without Hindi, Science and Mathematics teachers. For instance, the lone government higher secondary school in Longkhim has been running without a mathematics teacher for more than 5 years, it added.
The students’ body also expressed surprise that all the 6 government high schools under its jurisdiction were running without head masters.
In addition to the shortage of teaching faculties, the schools also lacked basic infrastructure such as proper school rooms coupled with poor sanitation and hygiene, and insufficient textbooks, laboratories and computers. This has affected the school’s ability to provide students with adequate resources for their studies which in turn has led to poor academic performance and health concerns, it claimed.
The students’ body also highlighted that some teachers have not received their salaries for several months, with some facing delays of up to 5-6 months. Since teachers are solely dependent on their salaries, such instability in wages makes it impossible for some teachers to sustain their livelihoods, it stressed.
While highlighting the above, the USSC has urged the education department to investigate into the problems and rectify them at the earliest. Failure to do so would compel the students’ body to take its own course of action, which will begin by shutting down those schools, it cautioned.
The next phase of education tour will commence from June 2023 onwards under Kiphire district, it added.
