Students deprived of basic right
TURA: While security forces and militants are engaged in a complex conflict across Garo Hills, schools and education are fast becoming casualty in the fight.
And depravation of the Right to Education to hundreds of students of Williamnagar has come to light as their school is under occupation of CRPF, COBRA, SWAT and other security personnel since February 3 this year.
The school in question is the Bolkinggre Secondary School in East Garo Hills situated just across the Simsang river from Williamnagar.
The occupation of the school building by the security forces for such a long time has hampered the regular conduct of classes.
The GSU, which has unearthed this occupation of school building by the security forces, has also claimed that the same was done without prior information to the District School Education Officer (DSEO) and the school management committee.
Informing about the notification given by the DSEO that all schools are to conduct the half yearly examinations by mid-June, the union pointed out that the students of the said school had already lost half of the academic year.
The school also happens to be the only school catering to the youths of the highly sensitive and vulnerable area, the GSU said.
The GSU informed that the matter was brought to the notice of the East Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner as well as a letter was dispatched to the Home Minister by the school management committee which sadly did not bring any positive result.
The union has once again written to the Home Minister issuing an ultimatum of seven days to take necessary steps to vacate the Bolkinggre Secondary School failing which it warned that future course of action would be taken for the realization of the right of these students.