Biplab Kr Dey
Dalmangre (North Garo Hills), Sep 16: You probably think dilapidated school buildings, with missing roofs, windows and doors was the worst that the entire state could provide to show the ailing issues with education but you are wrong. Welcome to the world of the Dalmangre Non Government LP School, a school that has been operating with just a single teacher for over 100 students that enroll to get education.
Dalmangre and Non Govt LP School
The village of Dalmangre is about 23 kms from the Bajengdoba C&RD Block. While there is a shortcut to get to the mainly agrarian village, the pathetic condition of the road will force you to take the road through Gosingpita – Bolsong. The village is connected through a PMGSY road that was completed recently and has made travel possible.
Before we delve deeper into what exactly ails the Dalmangre School, understanding the concept of a non-government LP school teacher is a must in the myriad categories of schools in the state of Meghalaya.
A non government LP school teacher is appointed by the government through the normal selection process. Their salary is paid by the government and they get the same salary as regular teachers sans benefits like pension, GPF or medical insurance. The school children get books (not all of it) and Mid-Day meals like regular schools though other than the initial infrastructure that is provided, the school gets no further monetary help from the state.
The Dalmangre LP School in focus has a single room whose roof was firstly blown away in 2012 during a thunderstorm after which the villagers got together to repair the roof through their own incentive. However, their efforts were once again wasted as another thunderstorm last year, once again blew the roof of the school building. However, the greater tragedy is that even if the school had remained spick and span, it would be impossible to accommodate the 110 students that are currently enrolled in the school.
The current state of the school and its students/teacher – the unsung hero
Following the single room classroom that was destroyed twice by thunderstorms, the school and its occupants along with the villagers approached the SSA UP school in the same village, just above their school, to help accommodate classes for the LP section.
The UP section had two spare rooms after the creation of a new building which was then left to the LP section. The two rooms, both of similar size (16 ft by 14 ft) housed a few benches where children sit to receive education. Classes are regular and most children ensure they do not miss out on the daily activities.
However, the sheer volume of students that the LP section holds makes it impossible to firstly accommodate in the two rooms. Secondly with only teacher present, it becomes close to impossible for her to ensure every student is being catered. Add the fact that there are at least 5 different classes taking place simultaneously, one can understand the plight that the teacher faces on a daily basis. And to think that she, Gamchi Momin, has been persisting for the past 11 years in the same strenuous environment is a testament to the will of the educator in ensuring quality education reaches the farthest reaches of the region and the state and her doing her part.
The sheer volume of students speaks for the hard work being put in by Gamchi and the numbers have kept increasing over the years. While in 2023 the school recorded 77 students, it shot up the next year to 86 and currently has 110 students enrolled.
The two rooms are by no stretch enough to hold the 110 students that come daily with many having to sit outside the classes while teaching is on.
Having no other option, the teacher over the past few years, has resorted to hiring educated youths from the same village in helping her run the school – all at the expense of her own salary.
“It is extremely difficult in the present circumstances to run the school as we don’t have enough resources to teach. I am the lone teacher as was my predecessor. Another teacher would have been a great help but being a non-government LP school, we hardly have any support,” said Gamchi during the visit to the school.
LP School President hits out at lack of support
While thanking the state government for ensuring the presence of at least an UP and LP school in their village, president of the LP section, Nepjing Marak, however was not a man to mince words.
He was especially angry at the way the former SDSEO (DI) of schools in NGH treated them when they went with their concerns relating to the situation faced by students in the village – all of whom want an education.
“Earlier this year we had gone to the DI to complain about this matter and seek an additional teacher but were told that without any budget or sanction they were unable to help. Recently again four of us went to the DI to seek an additional teacher because we could not bear to see the teacher managing so many children all alone for many years,” said Marak.
“Instead of giving us any assurance he asked us to appoint our own teacher and pay the salary by ourselves if we are able to. The way the DI snapped at us made us feel so embarrassed and hurt. We came to him to seek a better future for our children and this was his response,” added Marak.
“Our Dalmangre village is in the interior and remote part of NGH and our children do not have means to go to other schools in other areas. This LP and UP school is the only opportunity for our children to get an education. Although our UP school building condition is fine, it is not enough to accommodate all our children. What we need is an additional teacher and additional rooms in our LP School because our hope and future lie in our children,” said an emotional Marak.
He added that everyone felt bad for the situation being faced by the lone teacher and that is why they were desperate to get at least some help for her in relieving her burden.
The villagers have been to everyone who could potentially help the school in their village including the former DMC and the two MLAs (current and former).
“The earlier DI and DMC were extremely supportive to us but he retired before being able to help much. When Brigady Marak was the MLA, we approached him too and he helped a little but could not complete what we needed. The current MLA, Pongseng Marak was also approached and he gave us tin sheets to cover the LP school building but that too was blown away recently in another thunderstorm,” added the president.
What does the future look like for Dalmangre LP School
The future does not seem too optimistic for the hundred odd children and the lone teacher for the school. Being a non government enterprise, support for their cause will remain minimal unless someone takes stock of the situation being faced by the school itself and intervenes.
What is ironic is that many government LP schools, which struggle with enrollment; employ 2-3 teachers even while reporting single digit student presence.
With the apathy that education in Garo Hills is shown – it will literally require a miracle for the school’s lone teacher and the village of Dalmangre to get respite and enough space to accommodate all those that are desperate to get educated in the toughest climes of the region.
A change in the education policy could help though.
