It’s poll time: students forced to miss classes

NONGPOH: Students of three schools in the Ri Bhoi district have missed their classes because of an unlisted holiday declared by the school authorities concerned to pave the way for political activities like election campaigning.
In the latest instance, the Nomiwell Secondary School, Sajer, had to be closed on Friday as the venue of the Congress election campaign was in Sajer Community Hall, which shared the same premises with the school. The district administration and the local village body deemed it fit to grant permission to the Congress to highlight its poll agenda at the cost of one day’s classes for the school students.
In an earlier incident on March 28, the authorities of Moonlight UP School, Byrnihat, pasted a notice in the school building declaring a holiday on the ground of election campaign meeting organized for Congress candidate Vincent H Pala and Independent candidate P B M Basaiawmoit. Adjacent to the school was the Byrnihat Govt. LP School which, too, was closed on the day as the loud speakers used during the meeting would disturb the classes.
The Ri Bhoi District Administration and the local village authorities granted permission for conducting the election campaign at the ground where the two schools were located.
Political observers said that the district administration should verify the locations of the meetings proposed by various political parties, whether the venue was adjacent to any school or college so that unnecessary closure of educational institutions could be avoided.