Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 18 Sep: Outraged over the midnight protest march by the students of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) in Nyangnyo village in Pijeriang circle of Pakke-Kessang district on Sunday evening, the education commissioner on Wednesday suspended the KGBV hostel warden Tummi Chisi and its headmistress Nyayir Riba.
The Class 11 and 12 students were frustrated over not posting two subject teachers, even though half of the academic session has already passed. The delay in posting of subject teachers triggered anger among the students, which prompted them to take out a midnight foot march, holding placards reading ‘A school without a teacher is just a building’.
In the suspension order issued on Wednesday, Education Commissioner Amjad Tak stated that it is the responsibility of the head of KGBV to bring grievances of students, if any, to the notice of the higher authorities through appropriate channels.
“Failure to do so has resulted in grave mismanagement and indiscipline. The said incident has also raised serious concerns regarding the safety and security of students, particularly girl children, under the institution’s care. In view of the above, Tummi Chisi, warden, and Nyayir Riba, headmistress KGBV Nangnyo, Pakke-Kessang district are hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect till further orders,” the commissioner stated.
On Sunday, 90 students embarked on a midnight foot march from Nyangnyo village at around 12 o’clock, covering over 65 kilometres to reach Lemmi, the district headquarters of Pakke-Kessang, demanding adequate number of teachers.
However, the Education Department clarified that KGBV Nyangnyo has 13 full-time teachers and two more (geography and political science) teachers have already been recruited and they are joining the school soon.
KGBV Nyangnyo is being is run by Seppa (E/Kameng)-based Sei Donyi Charitable Trust.
APWWS seeks independent inquiry
Meanwhile, the Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS)
has requested the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights to constitute an independent fact-finding committee to thoroughly investigate the matter, assess the ground realities that led to the protest, and recommend appropriate measures to address the grievances raised by the students.
“The APWWS firmly believes that instead of resorting to immediate punitive actions – such as the suspension of the headmistress and the warden – the Education Department should adopt a more empathetic and informed approach. Such hasty decisions risk creating an atmosphere of fear and tension within the school, which may further affect the academic and emotional wellbeing of the students,” the APWWS stated in a press release.
It urged the Education Department to prioritize the genuine concerns of the students and ensure that proper staffing, a supportive academic environment, and transparent grievance redressal mechanisms are promptly put in place. “These steps are crucial to uphold the rights and welfare of the students, and to prevent the recurrence of such incidents,” it said.
The students resorted to protest to express their frustration and disappointment over the prolonged non-posting of two subject teachers – a situation that has severely affected their academic progress, the release added.
