By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Lack of trained teachers and infrastructure in the State have resulted in poor performance of the students, Opposition legislators on Tuesday observed while participating in a discussion on the style and functioning of the State Education department.
Moving a motion in this regard, Songsak MLA Nihim D Shira (NPP) said the poor performance of the students reflected in the results of the board examinations is attributed to unavailability of trained teachers in the State.
“In 2006-2007, the number of untrained teachers was 740 and the same has risen to 1102 in 2010-2011,” Shira said, adding that as per the Comptroller of Accountant General (CAG) report of 2011, West Garo Hills topped the list with regards to the number of untrained teachers.
He further raised the issue of lack of infrastructure in the educational sector in rural areas and undue interference in the appointment of teachers. He stressed on the need to improve the quality of education in government schools in the rural areas to ensure they are at par with the private schools.
Demanding enhanced salaries for teachers of lower and upper primary schools, Shira said that with better payment, quality education will follow.
“What can you expect from the teachers who get only Rs 3000 and Rs 6000 a month?” he questioned.
Highlighting the plight of the teachers who have to go to the streets every time to demand for immediate disbursement and hike of their salaries, Shira said, “This is not only shameful but it also speaks volume of the misfortune of the teaching community in the State.”
Urging the government to come up with a solution to this problem, Shira said, “It is a matter of concern for all if the government blames financial crunch as the reason behind its inability to fulfill these demands.”
Supporting the motion, Gambegre legislator Saleng A Sangma criticized the government for shelling out huge amount of money on events and festivals last year to celebrate the ‘Year of the Youth’ which could have been better utilized for conducting coaching camps, career guidance classes and the likes for the future benefit of the students.
Stressing on the need to install new programmes in the education system, Sangma said, “It is the nature of the government to avoid basic things and keep certain things in abeyance like disbursement of teachers’ salary without taking into consideration the plight of the students who have to suffer due to this laidback attitude of the government.”
“The state is swelling with the heat of injustice. When will transformation in the education take place?” he questioned.
On the same note, UDP leader Donkupar Roy highlighted the pathetic conditions of government schools in the State stating that the schools established 50 years ago have remained stagnant.
He also maintained that majority of the higher secondary schools are being run by private institutions.
Pointing out the problems associated with the minimal performance of government schools, Roy cited lack of infrastructure, unqualified teachers and medium of teaching in the schools especially in rural areas as some of the reasons which have resulted in the poor performance of the students.
Stressing on the need to bridge the gap in providing quality education to the students in the urban and rural areas, Roy asked the government to provincialise schools in the rural areas and allocate more funds to the Education department.
NPP leader James K Sangma said that there is a sense of alarm prevailing in the State especially in Garo Hills in terms of education. Stressing on the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, Sangma urged the government to review the provisions incorporated in the Act to ensure that the same caters to the education scenario in the State without disturbing the composition of the missionary schools which have played an instrumental role in imparting quality education in the State.
Urging the government to put Section 21 of the Act in abeyance, Sangma said that this Section allows 75 per cent of the strength of the school management committee to be from amongst parents/ guardian of children studying in the school while the remaining 25 per cent of the strength shall be drawn from elected members of local authority, teachers of the school and local educationists/ children in the school.
“This section is not applicable in the State especially in the rural areas”, he said adding that it is not always wise to emulate the West by giving the parents the same power as that of the governing authority of the schools to decide on important issues relating to the betterment of the school.
The motion was also supported by Nongthymmai MLA Jemino Mawthoh and Nongkrem legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit.
In his reply, Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Education, Prof RC Laloo, informed that a series of reforms have been initiated to improve education in the State.
He informed that the introduction of the continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) system in the State would build up the foundation of the students especially in the elementary sector.
Reacting to the issue of untrained teachers, Prof Laloo said implementation of RTE in the State would address the issue to some extent, as according to the RTE norms only trained teachers having professional qualifications would be fit to be incorporated.
“The government has collaborated with the National institute of Open school (NIOS) to provide training to as many as 7000 teachers,” he added.
He also informed that pre-service training for the teachers has also been initiated and the government has also increase the number of seats in the District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET). “The government has sanctioned one model school for each of the nine backward blocks identified in the State,” he informed.
Replying to the issue on Section 21 of the RTE Act, the Education Minister said that “Ways and means have been taken up to check that powers of the sponsoring bodies are not distorted.” He also added that attempts have been made to increase salaries of the teachers.
The minister’s reply, however, remained inconclusive.