Frustrated at the inaction to complaints from various schools in South Garo Hills over their shambolic condition, the Garo Students Union (GSU), Mindikgre regional unit, has questioned the ‘education first’ commitment of the state government.
The pressure group, through a press communique, expressed its frustration at the Education Department and the current government.
“After the SSLC and HSSLC results last year, we had a ray of hope that good things were going to happen after the commitment made by the government to act on education first. That happiness, however, only lasted a few days and we are back to where we started,” said the unit president, Greneth Sangma.
The NGO stressed that it had written several times for the augmentation of infrastructure of various schools damaged by storms and natural calamities but all those pleas fell on deaf ears.
The GSU pointed to the state of the Balkal Asim Upper Primary School that was severely damaged in a storm last year. The infrastructure now posed a danger to both students and teachers but despite the pleas, nothing happened to take care of the situation.
Similarly, memos for the repairs of schools in Gara Songgital, Rompa Asim, Dokgre, Bagangre and Mindikgre, among others, were also made, without these being taken care of.
Further Greneth said that he found it quite surprising that all sanctioned education schemes of the district had now been de-sanctioned.
“We also don’t know what the government is going to do about the building-less lower primary and upper primary schools,” he said.
They also stated that the Rompa Asim Government LP School was without a school teacher since the expiry of the former headmaster and the transfer of another teacher to a different school. The school has not had a teacher since January. Darit Asim Govt LP School has been closed due to a lack of a teacher.
“After the termination of all Adhoc teachers by the state government, the Chramgre Govt LP School has also been without a teacher. The children are facing difficulties and this is akin to destroying their future. If the department delays the appointment of various vacant teachers post continuously, the GSU will be bound to file an FIR against the district school authorities within a week,” the pressure group threatened.
