ROING, Mar 17: During the course of a series of surprise visits at various schools in Lower Dibang Valley district, jointly conducted by the members of Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) and District Child Protection team on Tuesday with the primary objective of ascertaining whether the provisions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 are implemented or not, it has come to light that the government schools are flouting the norms rampantly.
The members of the team were Ngurang Achung and Jumtum Minga from APSCPCR, CWC Member-cum-Legal Adviser K. Tayeng, Director, Childline Roing R. K. Paul Chawang and its team. Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya (VKV) Roing, Government Middle School Cheta, Government Primary School Jia and Government Higher Secondary School Bolung were picked for inspection. Visiting VKV Roing the team found that most of the RTE guidelines and instructions are being followed and the students are provided with basic facilities such as separate toilets for boys and girls, sanitary napkins for girls, safe drinking water and open space for games and co-curricular activities.
However, surprise awaited the team when it visited the government schools starting with Government Middle School, Cheta. They found the school’s current condition deplorable in terms of basic facilities and infrastructure. The school has a total strength of 192 students with 15 faculty members for classes I to VIII. Classrooms were found without proper windows, doors or ceilings and lacked electricity and water filters too. The students get only rice as the mid-day meal and neither sanitary napkins nor incentives have been provided so far to the class VIII girl students. It also emerged that there are no sweepers in school, no toilet facilities for boys and girls and the existing toilets are having zero maintenance. The visiting team asked the Principal to write to the District Director of School Education (DDSE) immediately for improvement of mid-day meals and all the above basics. Government Primary School Jemi-Notko (Jia) which has a total student strength of 84 from classes I to V and 4 teachers (one SSA) threw greater surprises. The school has just 3 class rooms with absence of basic infrastructure. Classes I and II students were found to be accommodated in a single classroom with no partition and the same feature was found in classes III and IV. While the admission fee is Rs 100, there is no drinking water facility and the students drink water straight from a hand pump located in school premises. Mid-day meals have been discontinued since the lockdown and there is an acute shortage of textbooks. The government hasn’t provided a school bell till now and the students have to use the rain water stored for months in a cemented tank while attending nature’s calls. The school lacks water supply facilities although there are toilets. 

Government Higher Secondary School, Bolung also had similar tales to narrate. Interacting with the students of Class VIII the team learnt that Rs. 1200 is being charged from each student as admission fee which is a gross violation of the RTE Act 2009. The students have bought their textbooks from the school and there was no enrolment of scholarships during 2020. Although there was a RO installation for drinking water and separate toilets for boys and girls, water connection was found to be poor along with absence of sweepers and disposal facility of sanitary napkins. The school library till now has no librarian and no books were received from the government. Refresher books were found locked in almirahs and the laboratory was also not in a functioning condition due to lack of maintenance, proper furniture and equipment. Some subject labs were found to be without electricity and the current lab assistant has been engaged in teaching. 
The 12 computers in the lab were found not up to date according to the syllabi of class IX and XII and internet connectivity is yet to arrive, the team found. It suggested the Principal to ensure the above basic facilities at the earliest. AMYAA NGO PR

---

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

<< Back to News List