Three apex tribal student bodies have appealed to the Hill District Private Schools Association Manipur (HiDiSAM) to temporarily suspend their agitation to cease all modes of teaching, in the interest of the students.
Appealing to the state government to provide assistance to the said private schools so that students can continue studying, the All Tribal Students Union Manipur, Kuki Students Organisation, general headquarters and All Naga Students Association Manipur warned that they will not remain silent if the state government and the HiDiSAM does not bring an amicable solution at the earliest.
Speaking to the media at ATSUM’s office, Imphal on Tuesday, general secretary of ATSUM Seiboi Haokip said that the three student’s bodies will also extend every possible help to bring a solution to the issue.
Seiboi said that HiDiSAM has taken the decision to launch agitation from July 21, following the Education(S) directives to private schools regarding waiving of students’ tuition fee and payment of salaries to teaching and non-teaching.
Reacting to the directives of the education(S), the three tribal student bodies had appealed to the state government to provide assistance to the private schools so that they can pay off the salaries of the teaching and non-teaching staff. However, the state government did not pay heed to the appeals of the student bodies, said Seiboi.
He said that 69 percent cut off marks for scheduled tribe students at the admission process of higher secondary schools admission should be decreased and the percent should continue to decrease unless the seats reserved for the STs are filled by the deserving students.
On July 18, HiDiSAM had warned of discontinuing all modes of teaching, both online and offline and to lay off the staff besides warning to close down private schools in hill districts if the state government fails to revoke its orders issued on May 26 and June 29 by July 20.
HiDiSAM had also warned of surrendering their recognition to the Board of Secondary Education Manipur, Central Board of Secondary Education and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education.
An order by The Education(S) department on June 10 directed the private schools with enrollment of students below 200 to waive student’s tuition fee and pay 50 percent of teaching and non-teaching staff salaries.
The department also directed schools with enrolment of students above 700 to waive students’ tuition fees and pay 100 percent of teaching and non-teaching staffs of their respective salaries.
