Govt school engages 'extra' teachers, collects fees

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jul 27: Haochong High School in Noney district, despite being a Government school, has been compelled to collect admission and tuition fees from students due to an acute shortage of teaching staff.
The school has around 20 staff members, including 10 teachers.
However, nine of the 10 teachers including the Headmistress were found to be substitute teachers during an inspection.
It was found that the teachers originally posted at the school do not attend their duties.
Instead, they keep substitute teachers by paying them between Rs 4,000 and Rs 6,000 per month, while continuing to draw their full Government salaries.
A primary teacher is currently serving as the Head- mistress of the school.
During a visit to the school, an Assam Rifles post was found established inside the school campus.
The school, the only high school under Haochong sub-division, caters to more than 200 students from pre-primary to Class X.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, Haochong village chairman Nampi Khunba said that it is impossible to teach more than 200 students with only 10 teachers.
He said the village committee had to engage three additional teachers to help address the shortage and ensure that students continue receiving proper education.
He said that the original teachers posted at the school do not attend classes despite drawing Government salaries.
According to him, they hire substitute teachers for monthly payments ranging from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000.
He also claimed that when substitute teachers sought an increase in their remuneration, the original teachers refused.
The situation has raised serious concerns over the functioning of the Government school and the quality of education being provided to students in the remote subdivision.
To keep the school functioning, he said, the village committee hired three additional teachers by collecting admission and tuition fees from the students.
The village chairman further said that the school currently does not have teachers for subjects such as Mathematics, Science and Hindi.
He also pointed out that the school lacks essential support staff, including a peon and a chowkidar.
The Headmistress, too, rarely attends the school, he said.
Stating that students from several neighbouring villages are enrolled at the school, he urged the Government to address the shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff at the earliest to ensure the smooth functioning of the school.
Social activist Akhiu Ngaomei questioned how students could receive quality education when Government schools continue to face such severe shortage of teachers and other essential staff.
Saying that the situation at Haochong High School is not an isolated case, he urged the Government to ensure that teachers report to their respective places of posting and discharge their duties regularly.