Government schools in Tzurangkong face acute teacher shortages: AKM

September 13, 2024 7 Views No Comment

MOKOKCHUNG, SEPTEMBER 13 (MExN): The Ao Kaketshir Mungdang (Ao Students’ Conference) has raised alarming concerns following the second phase of inspection and visitation of government schools in the Tzurangkong range under the jurisdiction of the Sub-Divisional Education Officer (SDEO), Mangkolemba.

The inspection, which took place from Monday to Thursday, revealed critical shortages of teachers and a lack of proper educational facilities across the visited schools, a press release issued by the AKM highlighted.

During the inspection, which covered 13 schools, it was noted that all the institutions are facing a severe deficit of teachers. In several cases, teachers have been transferred to other schools without being replaced, leading to combined classrooms and ineffective teaching.

For instance, GPS Aosenden operates with only four teachers for six classrooms. This shortage has led to frequent class cancellations, especially when teachers are away for training sessions, leaving students without adequate education.

Similarly, GPS Aosungkum is struggling with just three teachers for six classrooms, resulting in the merging of Class 2 and Class 3 into a single room. The lack of a Hindi teacher since 2020 has caused many parents to transfer their children to other schools. The severe shortage of teachers has also prevented the school from offering classes for Grade 5, exacerbating the educational difficulties faced by students, the AKM stated.

Expressing grave concern over the lack of replacements for retired teachers in almost all the schools inspected, it has called for immediate intervention to address these issues, urging the concerned department to deploy additional teachers to improve the student-to-teacher ratio and ensure that classrooms are properly equipped.

The AKM also emphasized on the need for a thorough inspection of all schools to fully assess the extent of the teacher shortage and to initiate necessary corrective measures. A comprehensive report detailing the findings and proposed actions will be released after the conclusion of all school inspections, it added.