Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) president Kesosul Christopher Ltu said the federation had submitted a representation to School Education adviser on Monday highlighting the issues and problems faced by government schools and demanded immediate steps to resolve them. This followed NSF and its federating units conducting education tours last year and this year to various educational institutions.
Addressing a press conference at NSF office here, Ltu shared with the media various issues highlighted in the memorandum.
On Mid-Day Meal scheme, Ltu said the government had miserably failed in its implementation and deprived students of their rights and benefits. He alleged that many schools were not provided mid-day meals in academic year 2018, while some schools were supplied with only dal (dried, split pulses) and cooking cost without supplying any other commodities. This compelled school management to sell few bags of dal in order to purchase rice and other commodities to provide meal to the students, he added.
The NSF president claimed that till May 22 many schools did not receive any commodity from the department concerned. He said the federation had submitted representation to the school education adviser in October last year too in regard to many discrepancies on Mid-day Meal scheme.
Regarding school uniforms, Ltu alleged there was shortage and delay in supply and that most schools did not receive pants, skirts and shirts in adequate numbers. He claimed that most schools were issued only sweaters and some pairs of socks, and all of the same size. He added that many uniforms could not even fit students in lower primary section.
He alleged that in some schools, students were given just cloths in lieu of pants, skirts and shirts without stitching cost and that the cloths were of very low quality.
The NSF president further said most classrooms and staff rooms in the government schools were in a dilapidated condition and that many schools did not receive any fund for repair and renovation since their inception.
He also informed the media that almost all government schools were compelled to undertake renovation and upgrade of classrooms from contributions made by students, teachers, villagers and well wishers.
He urged the government to allocate funds to the schools for repair and renovation.
Lamenting that, as per inspection records of the government schools, no official inspections were carried out by DEOs and SDEOs, Ltu said this negligence of duty on the part of the officials was one of the primary factors responsible for the untold hardships being faced by the schools and students, besides leading to below-par performance by students in their academics.
Ltu said the government had initiated a move to merge few schools under one administration in the form of composite school. But, with lack of proper infrastructure in almost all the government schools and without their upgrade, the exercise would not serve its purpose, he reasoned.
Referring to Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 or COTPA and its implementation, the federation chief said it was imperative that the respective district administrations should strictly monitor the Act’s implementation and ensure that no tobacco products were sold to persons below 18 years and within 100 metres radius from the outer boundary of educational institutions. He said many schools were following this directive.
The NSF chief said the memorandum urged the authority concerned to initiate necessary measures and intimate his office within a time period of 30 days. He warned that if the government failed to respond to the federation’s demand within the given time, students would hit the streets.
Meanwhile, following submission of the representation, school education under secretary P James Swu informed the NSF president in a letter on Monday (as made available to the media) that the government had decided to refer the issue of anomaly in supply and distribution of school uniforms to the State Vigilance Commission for necessary action. However, the letter did not mention any time frame in this regard.