Is Shutting Down The Defunct Schools, A Solution?

(Ngaleko Residential School.PK District. Classrooms constructed by the Public, Officers and the Senior Students.
 School adopted by Er. Hano Techi)

              Replying to a question the Education Minister of Arunachal Pradesh in the assembly session stated that 311 Government Schools would be closed down and the govt. had constituted a committee on how to utilize the assets and the infrastructure left behind. As per the educational Minister  311 Schools are defunct due to ‘zero enrollments’ and those would be closed down to focus on strengthening the functional schools.

             The ‘Zero Enrollment’ reason had been lingering in mind for long with a basic question. Basically Is the Education minister trying to say that there are no children of the age 6-14 yrs in the places of that govt. declared ‘defunct’ 311 schools?  Has the rural population in Arunachal Pradesh stopped giving birth? Definitely NO! Rather the population of the state is ballooning year after year though sparsely distributed.

Hence the Minister in the assembly gives some of the main reasons behind the closure. They are:-  

a.      Most of the schools are located in remote areas

b.      Lack of infrastructure facilities in the remote areas

c.       Lack of students due to the migration of parents towards the headquarters

           What surprises more here? He puts out the reason as if it is the fault of those children of those ‘defunct’ 311 Schools. Not surprisingly, there were no questions from the Opposition, or Activists, Vocal Student Unions or the intellectuals. Which meant people of Arunachal Pradesh agrees that the above reasons are valid or they have no idea of this development.

Let me present to you a case.

           There was/is a Middle School at Veo Village, Pappu Valley just 30 Mins. drive from Seppa the headquarter of East Kameng Dist. and roughly 2-3 hours drive from Itanagar or the Capital Complex thanks to the Trans-Arunachal Highway. This is the same school that produced stalwarts like the Former Education Minister Lt. Dera Natung and now Hon’ble Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Mama Natung. There are some galaxies of engineers and officers of different pay grades too. But sadly today, if you visit to see the splendid Papu Valley, You will find the abandon buildings & hostel turned to cattle sheds. It is supposedly defunct now! if you ask the villagers, they will say,” There are no teachers” and Office Papers will say there is ‘zero enrollment’. The Veo village is in Pijerang Circle. However Circle Officer doesn’t reside how would he? There is no electricity, no network, no clean drinking water facilities basically no basic amenities in the village. The buildings were used last for the General Election only!

           Also, in no way, there are no children of age group 4-16 years. Neither migrated to headquarters nor the village is located in a remote area. They sustain with their ‘hand to mouth’ survival.  Rice from paddy, vegetables/meat from the garden & forests. Nothing to worry, they live purely organic and are all healthy otherwise. Except they are addicted to Pepsi, winter, summer. Monsoon or spring Pepsi is a must!

           This is the condition of a village just nearby a district headquarter Seppa and today Pijerang Circle comes under a new District of Pakke-Kessang. Rest, I leave it to your wisdom and imaginations and blame the children for being born in their remote villages.

Moreover, a few more questions that bother here are:

a.       Should Children born in the remotest area to be deprived of education?

b.       Lack of infrastructure is govt.’s failure why should remote area children bear the wrath.

c.        Just because few migrated, the rest of the children won’t get their Right to Education?

          

          Right to Education is a fundamental right and the state must provide ‘free’ and ‘Compulsory’ education to all children of age group 6 to 14 without discrimination on the ground of a child’s economy. The reasons above given are discriminatory in nature. With a mammoth hierarchy set of bureaucracy from Secretary, directorate for Elementary Education, Higher Educations, RAMSA, RUSA, etc. to DDSE in Districts cannot look after 1771 Schools in a state (1300 Primary Schools, 300 Middle Schools, 103 High schools and 68 Higher Secondary Schools). What else does the government want its people to expect? Who had recently given tremendous support, All reasons given above by the education minister shows the weakness of a popularly elected govt. and no political will to revamp the schools.

           

          A great soul, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam said “The best brains of a nation may be found on the last benches of the classroom’ as such we may lose some best brains in those remote areas devoid of infrastructure facility and closure of schools.

           Therefore, It is also for the civil societies, migrated parents (urban settlers), educated people of the state to ponder and think upon the education scenario for those children at the remote villages. If possible adopt them, nurture them and provide them the best gift of life i.e Education.

         And would put up a question and urge the intellectuals, scholars, think-tanks and the policymakers to ponder upon.  Is shutting down defunct Schools, A solution?