RMSA schools in Jaintia Hills districts function without teachers
JOWAI: Six Upper Primary schools in Jaintia Hills upgraded to the Secondary level under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) have been functioning without teachers since 2013 prompting the affected students to take to the streets on Tuesday in protest against the adamant attitude of the Education Department for not appointing any teachers till date.
Students of Jowai Government LP and UP Basic School Chutwakhu carried placards and marched to the Office of the District Schools Education Officer (DSEO) and later held a sit-in demonstration at the premises of the DSEO office here on Tuesday.
We want teachers; don’t force us to join extremists; please think of our future; talking about development is nonsense if education is neglected – were some of the messages written in the placards that were carried by students during the march.
The DSEO, M Pde, informed that the Education Department in Jaintia Hills had already intimated the higher authority about the problems faced by students in all the six RMSA schools but to no avail.
She informed that the RMSA schools for the entire East and West Jaintia Hills region were being looked after by only one staff who was appointed only for Data Entry.
During their protest, the students were assisted by JSU activists who also met the DSEO.
“She assured to take up the matter seriously with the higher authority. We are, however, doubtful as the same assurances had been given to us by the former DSEOs,” JSU education secretary Deibha Syngkon said.
Meanwhile, there are allegations that the Education Department failed to stick to the advertisement norms for appointment of new teachers in these schools. As per the advertisements published in local dailies, the Education Department stated the minimum educational qualification of the applicants as graduate with Major Subject or B.Ed and post graduate. Those who have not completed B.Ed can be appointed but shall be terminated if they fail to complete their B.Ed within two years, the advertisement has stated. However, the Education Department has made contradicting statements in its correspondences with the District Education Department saying that no B.Ed degree holder should be appointed.
“Such lapses have badly affected the six schools run under RMSA in East and West Jaintia Hills,” the JSU leader said.
The Education Department in Jaintia Hills had advertised for vacant posts in April and the last date for submission of application was April 30. Interview was conducted after which the list of successful candidates was sent to the Directorate of Education and Literacy for approval. However, the Department has approved only those candidates holding B.Ed degrees.
The six schools which have been affected are Government UP School, Mookaiaw, Jowai Government Basic LP and UP School, Sutnga Government UP School, Shangpung UP School, Government Senior basic School, Mynso and Saipung government UP School, each of which require four teachers for Mathematics, Science, Social Science and English.
However, due to the government’s failure to appoint any qualified teachers in these schools, the UP teachers are now taking turns to help the affected students of classes IX and X.