From Our Correspondent
BAGHMARA, Dec 12: As astonishing as it may sound, another school, this time in the South Garo Hills (SGH) region, has been without a teacher for over three years rendering not only the school worthless but forcing children to be deprived of education.
The Achik Holistic Awakening Movement (AHAM), which visited the village on Tuesday, raised serious concerns over the negligence shown to education in the rural sections of Garo Hills even as the region continues to falter in producing results that can actually compete with the rest of the country.
The discovery was made in the village of Wakebokgre with the Government LP School missing a teacher for the past three years.
A team led by AHAM Gasuapara unit and CEB HQ general secretary, Clinton R Marak, visited the village following complaints made by the villagers about the prevailing situation in their village and how children were being deprived of an education.
“This is really saddening to say the least. The state of primary education is the basis on which civil society is recognized and going by that indicator, our children are being left behind for no fault of theirs. What is their fault that despite wanting an education – which is free, they are deprived this way? This has led to a situation where students have dropped out and there are only empty classrooms,” stated Clinton.
The NGO members added that along with there being no teacher, the school also suffers from lack of infrastructure. Without these, they said, it has become a challenge for both the students and the teaching community.
“This has a direct impact on the poor villagers and education and indicates an overall failure of school administration. It is imperative that these issues are addressed immediately to ensure that all students have access to quality education,” Clinton added.
AHAM urged the relevant authorities to take swift action to rectify these issues and provide the necessary resources and support to the school.
“Every student deserves the opportunity to learn in a conducive and supportive environment, and it is crucial that we work towards achieving this goal,” he felt.
South Garo Hills district has been one of the worst performers in terms of education, a department that is now being handled by the Rongara-Siju MLA, Rakkam Sangma.
While the process of recruitment of teachers has already begun in the state, to fill up vacant posts, many schools in the district (more than 50) still await an end to their woes – a chance at good education from the primary level.
“Our district has been performing poorly but can you really blame the students for these? When the primary level is in such neglect, can higher education really bring about change? The question is not only pertinent but a sad indicator of ground realities in SGH. We implore those in authority to not only take this up but also push for a more wholesome education beginning from the primary level,” they added.