Students and GBs reiterated that if the department concerned or the Nagaland government does not “revoke and cancel” the transfer orders of all the teachers from Aghunaqa area or the issue is being resolved, admission to the next academic session 2023 would be banned.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
Gaon Buras (GBs) or the village headmen along with students of Aghunaqa area have warned that no government schools in their jurisdiction will be allowed to function if the Nagaland governemnt refused to cancel or revoke transfer orders served to teachers in this area this year.
Accusing the state government of taking the education in the area for granted, Aghunaqa Area Students’ Union (AASU) leaders and the elders representing Aghunaga GB Association (AGBA) on the sidelines of a function with the theme “In a Progressive Generation…Where Do You Stand” (December 27 t0 29) held at Ghoshito village, Aghunaqa, AASU president Ikato Khulu said that the Nagaland government should not play a “blame game” in the context of education. Lamenting that the many of the government schools in the area are functioning without adequate teachers, Ikatu informed that 28 teachers were transferred to Dimapur district recently leaving government schools in the area with only two or three teachers each when the number of teachers were to be seven or more. He said, “If the government of Nagaland cannot provide adequate teachers to the schools, the schools will not be allowed to function”.
Aghunaqa Area has 38 villages with 35 government schools including two middle schools and a high school with more than 100 plus teachers. Though the actual need of the area and issues thereof was to yet to be to be formally intimated to the government of Nagaland, the AASU president clearly cautioned the Nagaland government that if it failed to fulfill their demand, the students along with the GBs union would not allow admission of students to the next academic year, 2023. He said they will be compelled to close down all government schools in the area.
During an educational tour in the month of June this year in the Aghunaqa Area, a team found out that schools were functioning without adequate teaching faculties and at many schools the few teachers were conducting combined classes. Ikato Khulu was of the view that there should also be subject teachers–Hindi, Mathematics, and Science. AASU also highlighted the need to provide proper school infrastructure by deploying qualified teachers. He finally added that AASU would not facilitate proving “No Objection Certificate (NoC)” to teachers who were served transfer orders recently.
Meanwhile, GBs Association representative Heshito V Awomi, has also extended support to the demand for the revocation of the transfer orders received by the teachers and lamented that the education department was playing with the life of the student community. This, he said on the ground that many teachers were repeatedly being transferred within a span of few months. He disclosed that in the Aghunaqa area, there were only 10 teachers in a high school, where there should be 25 teachers according to government norms. Heshito V Awomi also reiterated that if the department concerned or the Nagaland government does not “revoke and cancel” the transfer orders of all the teachers from Aghunaqa area or the issue is being resolved, admission to the next academic session 2023 would be banned.