Mangsang Chronicles: Part 2 of 3
From Our Correspondent
MANGSANG, June 23: In the wake of a visit to at least 7 schools in the village of Mangsang about 10 days following reports of these schools not being fit for children to even sit inside but were forced to do so in the face of one of the most important aspects of their lives – their education.
While the situation of two of these 7 schools, Imtra Apal SSA UP School and Bamil Government LP School have been covered in detail in Part 1 of this series, we introduce two more such schools that will give you nightmares and leave you with a sense of exasperation due to the situation being faced by both the educators and students.
The visit was undertaken along with two local groups, the GSU and FKJGP.
Rongchong Govt LP School
The case of the Rongchong Government LP School is a tragedy that transcends reason. The village of Rongchong falls about 5 km from Mangsang in East Garo Hills. It is about 1 km from the main Adokgre – Mangsang road and is one of the most picturesque places you can visit. The district of West Khasi Hills lies just across.
The school has a total of 3 teachers that cater to the education of more than 60 students that come on a daily basis to get their education, or only just.
The school (pictures and videos attached) has two parts, one that was destroyed in the year 2012-2013 in a cyclonic storm and another structure with two more rooms – one of which is used by the teachers as their staff room and another to allow for classes. Interestingly, repairs to the usable section were undertaken only last year as the situation of these two usable rooms was the same as the other parts of the complex.
The main problem begins in the almost-defunct section of the school, the one destroyed in the cyclonic storm more than a decade ago.
“The entire roof of the structure has been blown away by the cyclonic storm (there were 3 rooms along with a kitchen) and despite repeated complaints to authorities of the education department, the local MLA as well as through online sources but to no avail,” said one of the teachers.
Finding no other option and with education of over 60 children at stake, the teachers appealed to the village following which the villagers came forward to provide tins to cover the roof. However, even here there lies a problem. When the structure was blown off, it took away the entire roof along with supporting beams.
“The walls are made of concrete and now what we have managed is to somehow use bamboos to support the tin roof in two of the rooms. However it is placed within the concrete which means that when it rains, the entire thing becomes a water collector instead of helping dispose of the rain water. What this means is that any time it rains, we have to call it a holiday,” added another teacher, while speaking of their dilemma.
As has been the case with all the schools visited, the floors of all the rooms have been completely damaged as has been the doors and windows – in fact there were no doors or windows in the old structure at all.
The school currently lacks even basic amenities like a toilet though a structure had been set up about 7 years ago but never completed. The kitchen is another story altogether. Ever since the kitchen was destroyed, the appointed cook now prepares meals in his own house before bringing it to the school to feed the children!
“This is why people in remote areas feel the pinch of neglect that they have been burdened with. Realistically can children really study in these set up. Will you send your children to these schools and do children in these remote places has the luxury of choice,” asked GSU president of Mangsang, Barnawel Sangma.
For the teachers, their only hope now is that someone would notice the perilous situation faced by them and help.
Ronga Agal Adhoc UP School
The village of Ronga Agal is just about 3 km from Mangsang and lies just by the side of the Adokgre – Mangsang route. The school, as per latest records has close to 60 students and 3 teachers and sits next door to another Government LP School in the same complex. Another private school sits in a nearby section of the compound.
The school, as per sources, was destroyed over the years from being battered by rains and storm but became unusable more than 8 years ago. Of the three rooms in the UP section, there were hardly any windows and most of the doors could be pushed open – being so weather beaten. The floor of the classrooms still had water from the rains that fell the previous day and clumps of floor plaster were scraped due to rains sipping through.
“Earlier the school has a false ceiling just below the roof but this fell in batches as tin roof of the classrooms began to have holes in them.
Currently none of the rooms can be used in case of rains as clear sunlight can be seen through the roof’s holes,” said the headmaster of the school.
The teacher added that despite the challenges faced, they still took classes regularly when the weather permitted but if it rained, there was no option but to shut shop and pray the rains relented. The only room that is still usable is currently being used as a staff room and storage place for important files, books and documents.
As has been the norm, numerous appeals for help from the state and district school authorities have led to nothing and it was only through desperate appeals to villagers, that two new rooms have been set up using funds for MGNREGS – only last year. However it is still not enough as it needs to accommodate 3 separate Classes – VI – VIII.
Currently, the classrooms within the school resemble more like a set from a horror film and remain a horror for those children and teachers that continue to brave the elements just for the sake of education.
“Why should villagers come forward and put their own money into structures that are the responsibility of the state government and the education department. School inspections are so few and far between that most teachers even forget who the School Inspector is. Is this really how education should be run in our state? How can anyone compromise with the education of children and that too in this manner,” said FKJGP president, George Sangma.