Tura, September 09: The GSU CEC, Tura and ADE Apex Body had conducted a meeting at Rongsigre SSA UP School on the 6th of Sept’16 where around 64 village people attended including the Rongsigre A’king Nokma and SMC of the School. The people of the area complained about the illegalities that were practiced with regards to functioning of the school and the deaf ear lend to their grievances by authorities.
Upon enquiry by the GSU and ADE found out that the main complaint was against Smt. Smyrna M. Marak, Asst. Teacher, Rongsigre SSA UP School, S.G.Hills. The attendance record sheet or register of the school clearly shows that Smt Smyrna M. Marak reported for duty till 6th March’12 where her signature is to be found.
After which a series of proxy teachers were illegally appointed who reported for duty in her stead. Malpractices of this degree need corrective measures. Such malpractices adversely affect the quality of teaching in schools and needs to be discouraged. The fact that the complaints of the school and the village people including the A’king Nokma about the presence of the proxy teacher was dismissed for a long time with no action speaks volumes about the manipulation and transgression of the system.
As per our knowledge, the Union Government has given strict direction to all the states by accepting the fact that the UGC & AICTE has been found wanting as a regulatory body that the occurrence of proxy teachers in practice needs to be strictly and immediately dealt with.
The State Project Director, (SEMAM) SSA and the Director of School Education & Literacy, Meghalaya, Shillong has given instructions to the CRC, BRC and the SMCs to regulate and prevent the use of proxy teachers by appointed teachers. Section 24(1)(a) of RTE (Right of Children to Free & Compulsory Education) Act, 2009 has ordained the regular attendance of schools with addendum on punctuality and regular classes. All the states concerned authorities have been directed by the Director, DSE&L, Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.
We have been privy to the knowledge that Smt Smyrna M. Marak’s salary has been withheld only in June 2016 after almost four years ,she has not attended to the school since March 2012. The question here is, why was action not taken in 2012 against the erring Asst. Teacher of Rongsigre SSA UP School? What is the DMC, BMC, CRC and in general the regulatory authority doing without any form of inspection upon repeated complaints by the SMC of the School? Why is there a lapse of duty by the concerned authorities of this magnitude? , question the NGOs of Garo Hills.
The NGOs alleged that, there has to be someone manipulating for or is sheltering this person, either that or there is an indifferent, ineffective or negligent officer somewhere in the hierarchy of the education system. The lists of allegations against Smt Smyrna are many, the same teacher was driven out by the SMC of the Me’ka A’dugri SSA UP School because of her habit of long absences from the school. The GSU is in the process of getting documents from the school in pursuance of the evidence.
The same teacher has never attended her deputed D.I.E.T training till date.The same teacher has sent her father to argue for her case in informal meetings using threats and swear words as reported by the village people and SMC. The same teacher has declined to attend a meeting called by the SMC and even the villagers three times because of her absence from school for almost five years. As per reports of the school and villagers, Smt Smyrna Marak did not attain the 45% percentage required in the 10+2 exams which means her appointment as Asst. Teacher is a hotbed for further complications.
In desperation, the SMC and the villagers after continuous complaints has taken an extreme step of terminating the service of Smt Smyrna M. Marak from the post of Asst. Teacher. The step was to garner serious attention from the education department to wake it from its manipulative, indifferent and negligent state.
Suddenly, the department has taken up the issue without taking into consideration why the extreme step was taken but by threats to close the school done verbally by some one from BMC or CRC as reported by villagers and by issuing a show cause notice (vide letter no. DMCB/SSA-1/Compl.Let/2007/32/288 Dated Baghmara the 27th July 2016) to the SMC. Your order to commence enquiry into the nature of the allegations and actions visited by the SMC and the villagers to Shri K.K. Paul, BMC, Gasuapara Block on 8th August 2016 is squarely abandoned till date(as reported by villagers). And we know what the cause is.
Because everyone from the DMC, BMC and the CRC knows that Smt Smyrna M. Marak has not attended the school from March 2012 and we also have the Xerox copies of the attendance register. The question again is why?
The whole proceeding reeks of corruption, nepotism, ineffectiveness, manipulation and gross negligence countermanding the directions from the State and the Union Government. The sudden emergency and urgency given to the situation when a teacher who has been absent from the school for almost five years is terminated in desperation by the SMC and the villagers says volumes about the situation.
GSU, ADE and hosts of civil societies and NGOs will not allow the closing of the Rongsigre SSA UP School and will seek justice for the people of Rongsigre. There were around 64 students in the school but due to disturbances given to the school the student numbers are said to be dropping.
The NGos demand that Smt Smyrna M. Marak be terminated from her post as her actions and habit of years of absence from school is degenerative to the education system and will hurt the quality of education imparted to the students and another teacher be appointed in her stead. They request the officer to kindly and personally see that the Rongsigre SSA UP School is given proper attention to function by approval and appointment of a new teacher and continued education of the students.
