Reeling under woeful shortage of teachers, Kadangband High School is managing to impart education smoothly with the support of five volunteer teachers.
Kadangband High School which is the only government school in Kadangband under Imphal West district has been functioning with only two teachers. Despite this deplorable condition, the present ongoing communal clash has resulted in an increase in the number of students enrolment in this school manifold.
Kadangband, a foothill area which is just around 20 Km away from Imphal city is one of the most affected villages in the armed current conflict. Because of this prevailing scenario, students from this village are hugely impacted that they even have to change their school. Majority of the people of Kadangband are economically weak and farming is their main source of income. Thus, to take admission in Kadangband High School was the only option remaining for them.
Since the ongoing crisis broke out on May 3, the people of Kadangband are braving odds to protect their village from being attacked by keeping vigil together at night in their community hall. In such a situation, it has been a challenging task for local people to engage in other activities. But pondering upon future of school going children, the villagers also have taken up the initiative of providing voluntary teaching service. This noble action enlivens hope of many parents who have been encountering tough time thinking about the future of their children.
Chinglen Thingujam who is the general secretary of Kadangband Naharol Apunba Lup (name of a local club of Kadangband), said that the present crisis has given tremendous setbacks to school going students of Kadangband. The private schools in which most students of this place once studied are beyond access now on the ground of security reason. This has resulted in parents shifting their children to Kadangband High School.
“We really worry about future of our children. We don’t have any other options except to take admission in Kadangband High School. As this school is also under staffed from before, local people had urged to concerned authority several times about filling up required number of staff. However, we didn’t receive any result of our effort,” he lamented.
Sharing about measures taken up by local people so that career of Kadangband’s children is not compromised by this crisis, Chinglen said that along with local people, women organisation (Meira Paibi) and local clubs, they jointly took decision of extending voluntary teaching service at Kadangband High School. While taking the decision, five young, dynamic and dedicated volunteers agreed to do so. With their tireless effort, the school has started classes from August 14 onwards.
“For the time being, we are managing to run the school with these five volunteers and two teachers of this school. But for how long we can extend voluntary service is something we always keep asking to ourselves. As such I would to like to request to state government to kindly send required number of teachers at earliest. We also want our children to get same privilege and opportunity that students in good school are getting,” he urged.
One of the volunteer teachers, Langpoklakpam Hemjit said that his concern about future of children has inspired him to do voluntary service of teaching in Kadangband High School. And his passion of teaching students is now energised in doing this free service, he added.
“By profession, I am a programme presenter at Diamond Radio located at Khongjom which is very far from my place Kadangband. Above this, guarding our village is also another activity which we cannot foresake. Doing all this and taking up voluntary service of teaching is not an easy thing. But I can successfully manage this as it is my passion to teach students,” he stated.
While urging all the teachers who posted at Kadangband High School to attend school, he said that people should choose teaching as their first option. Without good teachers, there couldn’t be a good society. As such every teacher should have this concept that their absence in the school spoils life of many students.
Headmaster of Kadangband High School, Krishnalal said that earlier his school had only around 32 students and now because of this crisis, it has been increased to more than 90 students. Many students affected by the ongoing conflict have been enrolled at Kadangband High School.
He said that the state is encountering acute shortage of teachers from before. Request was made to government from time to time to fill up the required teachers as parents want their children to take admission in this school. Government had issued utilization order in the month of June of posting four teachers in the school. However, none of them has joined till date.
With the surge of students, it is now a laborious task to run the school with just two teachers. But fortunately, local people are lending immense support by providing volunteer teachers which help them to continue the school classes effectively. The school authority doesn’t have fund to provide honorarium for them. However, without any complaint, they are still continuing.
It may be mentioned that for more than three months, all the schools were closed owing to ongoing crisis. State government observing prevailing law and order scenario as improving, ordered for school classes to resume in phase manner.
Most of the schools in Imphal city have reportedly resume classes successfully and good number of teachers as well as students have begun attending classes. But for schools located at vulnerable or periphery areas, it has become a matter of concern whether students are enjoying their right to education or not.
It is likely many schools like Kadangband High School that manages to run with volunteers amid this crisis. However there would be many cases where students have no access to proper education system particularly in government school due to absence of either government or volunteer teacher.
State government had already declared that with their much-hyped School Fagathansi Mission, condition of government schools are improving. People are hopeful that the benefit of this mission would reach all government school located in every nook and corner of state so that all students can enjoy equal the privilege they deserved and are entitled to.
The writer is an award winning reporter
