The All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) on Wednesday apprised state Education Minister Th Basanta Kumar Singh through a representation, recommending the creation of ‘District Cadre’ in engagement of 1,000 primary teachers on a contract basis under Education (S) department and ‘Home Language/Mother Tongue’ of children as a medium of instruction in primary schools.
The representation signed by its president Paotinthang Lupheng and education secretary Kaikho Hopeson Mao also appreciated the initiative of engaging primary teachers on a contract basis.
ATSUM stated that the rampant practice of utilisation of teachers at places other than their places of posting has created a menace in the overall education system of the state, whereby excessive numbers of teachers are posted in certain schools and on the other hand a number of schools are left with no teachers to teach the students.
It is felt that creation of ‘District Cadres’ of teaching and non-teaching staff will address the problem in large measure, it added.
The ‘District Cadres of Teachers’ may be created so that transfer and posting of teachers would be possible only within a district, in order to do away with the problem of utilisation of teachers at places away from their posting, ATSUM stated.
ATSUM reminded that the matter of District Cadre creation in the Education (S) department was discussed and agreed upon in the official discourse held between the State Government and ATSUM on August 13, 2019 at the CM's Conference hall chaired by the chief minister.
It further apprised the education minister for implementation of Home Language/Mother tongue of Children as a medium of instruction/teaching in Primary Schools.
It stated that the Home Language/Mother tongue of Children has been mandated as medium of instruction/teaching in Primary Schools by the Article 350A of Indian Constitution, Right to Education Act 2009, National Curriculum Framework, 2005 of NCERT and the National Education Policy 2020.
Therefore, the ensuing engagement/recruitment of 1,000 Primary Teachers under Education (S) be exercised on district cadre basis with the knowledge of the concerned district local language made as an essential criteria for the candidates, it added.
It further stated that the union is confident that the incorporation of the two important recommendations in the engagement/recruitment of primary teachers will ensure rewarding policy reform in the education system of the state.
