Recently, frazzled over the transfer of Chemistry subject teacher mid-session, students of a school in Pasighat reached out to the concerned MLA for retaining the teacher at least for the session. Altogether 120 students held a signature campaign seeking retention of the teacher. In another instance, a school in East Kameng had recently issued a classified advertisement inviting application from private teachers.

Ever since the state government effected teacher rationalization, students have been on tenterhooks as teachers have been given marching orders without a reliever to fill in. The fact that the much-needed exercise is being executed mid-session is resulting in more chaos, affecting students and teachers alike.

Teaching has been long marred by absenteeism, lack of commitment and sincerity to the profession. To top it all, inequitable distribution of teachers—high concentration in urban pockets while rural schools are mostly single-teacher run has resulted in a sad plight of the education sector.

The department of education has admitted that about 900 schools in interior areas are running with single teacher while schools mostly located in the Capital Complex area and District Headquarters have excess teachers. For a long time, this lopsided distribution has been the talk of the general public but none had the figures to back it. But going by the above figure, the state indeed has a massive problem in hand.

Rolling out the much-needed reform, the education department on July 8began the first phase of rationalizing of teachers by issuing transfer orders of 268 teachers within the capital complex. In the subsequent weeks many such transfers were executed in several districts to neutralise the inequitable distribution of teachers.

The intent behind the policy is noble, however, it could have been better timed. Transferring teachers randomly without ensuring reliever is in place beats the whole purpose of the exercise. The commotion arising due to unavailability of subject teachers especially for students facing the CBSE board exams will lead to further dip in educational performance come result time.

To be fair to the education department, teething problems and upheaval is normal during any change. The attempt to right the wrong, an outcome of decades of mismanagement at administrative and government level is commendable to say the least.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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