For many years, it has been a big question in the people’s mind why the well paid teachers of Government schools fail to guide even a few students to the list of position holders in the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examination while their lesser paid counterparts of the private schools produce several position holders.
Regarding pass percentage as well, private schools are always high while the Government schools are very low. Interestingly, there are Government schools which can’t even produce a single passed student. In the light of such dilapidated situation on the part of Manipur Government schools, people have lost their faith on these schools.
Parents are sending their children to private schools which charge high tuition fees, admission fees and so on by neglecting the Government schools which not only provide free education but also feed the students under Mid-day Meal Scheme.
Sending children to private schools has become a tradition in Manipur. Even the parents who belong to the lower income group send their children to private schools for the sake of their children’s future.
However, with the upgradation of Keishamthong Girls’ High School to Keishamthong Government High School as a co-educational model school in 2009, Government schools have regained the lost reputation up to some extent. The school has been successful in producing a few position holders in the HSLC examinations conducted by the Board of Secondary Education Manipur.
Students of the newly upgraded Keishamthong High School made their maiden HSLC appearance in 2010. In the said the examination, Maibam Ashakiran d/o M. Rajendra of Lilong Chajing secured 18th position.
In 2011, Prakash Khundrakpam got 8th position while Meiraba Chirom secured 9th position in 2012 examination. The school authority is hoping that students of this school will occupy a few positions in this year’s HSLC examination as well.
Pleased with the much needed achievement of this school shining like a bright star among the Government schools, Romi Bag Industries, Imphal awarded the school with Rs. 40000 in the year 2010.
Recently, Sisidar Chungkhgam student of this school also won the Science Inspire Award 2012 instituted by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. President of India, Pranab Mukherji will present the award in a function to be held at New Delhi.
Located at Keishamthong Elangbam Leikai, Imphal West, Keishamthong High School is a Manipur Government’s special category English medium school. The school is being run with 17 teaching staff (13 regular staff, 4 utilised staff), one LDC and one Grade IV. The school has classes from VI to X and the teacher student ratio is 1:40.
As a model school, it has been able to live up to the expectations of the people up to some extent. In the HSLC exam 2010, the school produced 9 first divisioners including one 18th position holder, 12 second divisioners and 11 third divisioners with an excellent pass percentage of 94%.
In the HSLC exam 2011, the school got cent percent pass percentage by producing 26 first divisioners including one 8th position holder, 9 second divisioners. The school got cent percent pass percentage in the HSLC exam 2012 too by producing 22 first divisioners, 14 second divisioners and 1 third divisioner.
The Annual Report 2005 of the Board of Secondary Education Manipur available with the Manipur Times indicates that Keishamthong High School had a poor pass percentage record before it had been upgraded to a model school.
The pass percentage of this school in the HSLC exam 2001 was 48.61% and 5.26% in 2004. In the HSLC exam held in 2002, 2003 and 2005, no student could get through HSLC examination.
The rapid increase of pass percentage and performance of Keishamthong High School has proved that the State Government took a right decision to upgrade a once dilapidated school into a model school.
In the backdrop of success story of Keishamthong High School, the role of the then Education Minister L. Jayantakumar and Director of Education (S), Harekrishna and others cannot be ignored.
Their farsighted planning and day-night struggle were one of the factors that proved successful in materializing the dream of inclusion of Government school students in the elite list of 25 position holders in the HSLC examination which has always been occupied by the private school students for years.
School Headmaster K. Tiken said that the teachers are trying to give the best education to the students. To improve and evaluate the quality of the students, many tests like Assignment Project Practice (APP), Periodic Test, CCE and others are taken. Under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme students reading in class VI to VIII are provided free textbooks and mid-day meal.
As the intake capacity of this school is limited to 200, students applying for admission into this school are selected through lottery system. Students are given free computer class. The school has 40 laptops and 10 desksop computer sets.
Keishamthong High School is now being run under a School Management Committee headed by a Zonal Education Officer.
He said that the main problems being faced by the school are absence of playground, irregular power supply and garbage pit. School management finds it difficult to throw away the leftovers of mid-day meal and other garbage materials since there is no garbage pit. He appealed the Government authority concerned to solve these problems during this academic year.
“Responsibility for degradation of quality education and poor performance of Manipur Government schools and loss of public trust from these schools day by day cannot be blamed to the teachers alone. Parents, teachers and Government are equally responsible. Generally, parents who send their children to private schools take better care for their children’s education than the parents who send their children to Government schools. Strict monitoring by the school authority in the private schools is another factor for producing meritorious students. In private schools, school authority has the power to dismiss derelict teachers while the same is not possible in Government schools. The performance of the Government schools can be enhanced if the strict monitoring system of the AIs and DIs which was once enforced years back is revived and implemented once again”, he pointed out.
It’s not a big question, it is a lack of RR in comparison to private schools.
Govt. School is for the people like us, recently I admitted my daughter to a govt. school(Uripok Residential School) , located at Lamboi khongnangkhong, I really appreciate all the teachers for their dedication for the students.
It’s sad. Just wish that yellow journalism should be condemned by one and all. I believe criticism should be positive. Who the hell knows about KHS or the ruling govt. at that time?
It’s because of political appointment of post.
Yumnam Arun You are mistaken. Please don’t be too judgemental without knowing the ground realities…with due regards
Chongtham Johny Ok then what’s your conclusion regarding poor performance of Govt schools.
Other than political appointment there are few more other reasons too.
Just to clarified that well paid does not mean well qualified
Berlin Elangbam ng manba ama yaore amad gyaneshor malli
Jyosita Elangbam mane
There are only two obvious flaw. 1) No actions were taken up against the teachers who failed to abide their employment rules, like not coming to office/school in time, absent in school during the school hours, no proper classes. 2) lack of incentives to teachers who do well. To see a fruitful result, we need to reward the teachers. We, students. stayed in the school for a very short time, but they stayed there longer, they are the real face of keishamthong h/s, not us. Don’t judge the school by looking at us, by looking at the teachers and their dedication. -A former student
Chirom Meiraba in my opinion….lack of dedicated school principal….salary of teachers will not be affected though there is no good result….if all the top private schools are converted into government schools then the same condition of the present government will be there in such private schools too….that means effective administration is required to promote quality of schools….
Yeah! I agree with you!