Mission to improve government schools launched

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, January 18, 2019: Chief Minister N. Biren Singh today launched ‘School Fagathansi’ mission, an initiative to put special focus on improvement of government schools under the ‘Go to Village’ mission, at a function held at Yumnam Huidrom Government High School, Wangoi in Imphal West.

The mission has been introduced with an ambitious objective to give renewed thrust towards improvement of government schools both in terms of physical and manpower infrastructure. One government school each in all the 60 Assembly Constituencies of the state will be developed as model schools in the first phase under the mission. All these schools would be run and developed in a uniform pattern.

Biren Singh said the ‘Go to Hill’ and the ‘Go to Village’ missions have been successful in connecting people with the government.

“Now, the government intends to put special focus on improvement of government schools because economic condition of the common people is not improving despite government’s efforts as they generally spend huge amount of money in children’s education,” the chief minister said.

He expressed hope that the new mission would garner trust of the people towards government schools.

Stating that all the model schools would have classes from pre-nursery to Class-X, the chief minister informed that no teacher would be transferred from these model schools for at least three years in order to maintain stability in the number of teaching manpower.

Observing that involvement of local people, educationists, local club members and Meira Paibee leaders in the scheme is of immense necessity, Biren urged all concerned to extend cooperation in making the mission a success.

In addition to the existing School Management Committees, selected schools under the mission would be managed by re-defined Management Committees headed by circle MLAs concerned, Biren said.

He said Rs. 50 lakhs had been sanctioned by the state planning department for awarding cash prizes to meritorious students. It may be mentioned that in a Well Wishing ceremony held at Hapta Kangjeibung on January 28 last year, the state government announced to give incentive awards to meritorious students of government schools, who secure positions in Class X and XII examinations.

The chief minister said in addition to providing free education under Right to Education (RTE), the state government has recently launched a scheme known as ‘Lairik Tamhansi – No Child Left Behind’ in which school dropouts are readmitted in government schools.

Regarding insecurity felt by the common people in the aftermath of passing Citizens Amendment Bill by Lok Sabha, the Chief Minister observed that protection of indigenous people can be started at individual level by not selling lands to outsiders. One should never sell precious ancestral lands to get a simple Government job or own a car, he said.

Informing that CCTV footages of Physical Efficiency Test (PET) of the ongoing IRB (Indian Reserve Battalion) recruitment are recorded live, the chief minister warned that anybody found involved in any sort of corruption in the test would not be spared.

Minsters Th. Radheshyam L. Jayantakumar, Karam Shyam and Letpao Haokip were present among others in the function.