HT Bureau
DIPHU, Aug 3: As a part of an educational awareness campaign for quality education, the Executive Member (EM), Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), Richard Tokbi conducted sudden school visits to get to know the ground reality of the schools. The EM visited four schools in Diphu town under Lumbajong Education Block.
Tokbi first visited DAV Higher Secondary School, a government school with the highest student enrollment. He met the teaching staff of the school. Tokbi went through the teacher’s attendance register, the student enrolment, attendance of students and enquired about the problems of the school.
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During the course of interaction with teachers he found that the rice meant for the mid-day meal had been distributed to students.
According to sources from Sarbha Siksha Abhijan (SSA), for the LP section the government is providing 100 grams per meal per student and for Upper Primary 1.50 grams of rice per meal per student. The government is also giving Rs. 3.3 for cooking costs like purchase of firewood/ LPG gas, vegetable, edible oil, spices etc.
The EM said, “The rice is meant to be cooked and fed to the students and not to be distributed among them. It is not proper to distribute rice to children. It is against the government norms.”
The teaching staff informed that a retired Principal, Govind Pandey, shoulders the mid-day meal all by himself. He used to distribute the rice to children.
The EM found that the kitchen meant for cooking the mid-meal is in in a dilapidated state. He inspected the unused 7 additional classrooms constructed by SSA in 2015-16. The rooms are also damaged. The Principal Chandrasing Senar informed that the boundary wall is incomplete and miscreants use it to enter the rooms by breaking the windows, and doors and stealing electrical wires.
The EM was not satisfied with the environment of the school and asked the teachers to clear the tall grasses and plant trees and flowers for the beautification of the school. He also asked the teachers to keep the school compound clean. There are a total of 111 students with 24 teaching staff.
The EM also found that most of the students are staying as domestic help in other’s houses.
Tokbi also visited the DAV LP School, which is separate from the high school section. The teachers informed the EM about the lack of response by guardians when invited to attend parent-teacher meetings. They also requested the EM to take up the repair of the school building.
The EM visited the English and Assamese Medium Lower Primary and the ME and High School section at Rongnihang and found the compound congested. In class-I, English Medium LP section the students are sitting on the cemented floor. In class III, five students shared a bench.
The EM asked Class-I students to read. Many students are from poor families or coming to school staying as domestic helps in others houses. The condition is the same with the ME section, where classes are taken in shifts in one room for Class-VI, VII and VIII.
The EM also visited Govt. Girls Higher School and Govt. Boys HS School and interacted with the teachers and students. In these two schools, the EM saw the school atmosphere and sincerity of the teachers.
EM Tokbi was accompanied by Member of Autonomous Council (MAC), Johnny Timung; Inspector of Schools, Karbi Anglong Circle, Birensing Engti and District Mission Coordinator, SSA, Nayan Pathak.
