MLA laments school’s condition
DAPORIJO, Dec 2: “Toilets are reaching every corner of the urban and rural areas under the Modi-led BJP government, but schools such as the Daporijo GHSS, established in 1967, is yet to get a proper toilet,” said Taliha MLA Nyato Rigia.
Addressing a meeting of the alumni association of the government higher secondary school (GHSS) here in Upper Subansiri district on 31 December last year, Rigia urged the school’s former students to “wake up and fight against the antisocial elements exploiting the school.”
During the meeting, which was held to discuss steps to revive the GHSS, SP Taru Gusar assured to depute “round-the-clock police force if any offence is detected at the GHSS.”
Addressing the concerns of the alumni association regarding the damage to and encroachment on the school’s property, Gusar said, “Those found guilty will be booked under the relevant clauses and sections of the law.”
Reportedly, the school has been damaged by antisocial elements and its principal’s and the vice-principal’s quarters have been encroached on.
Gusar, who is also an alumni association member, advised the members of the association, the principal, and the teachers to inform the Daporijo police station “if any person is detected indulging in illegal and unauthorized activities in the school compound.”
GHSS Principal Babom Bam informed that the school has 2340 students but not enough teachers for English, biology and geography classes in the higher secondary level.
The secondary level also lacks English and physics teachers, “against the sanctioned two posts each,” he said, adding that there is also the lack of a biology laboratory and a chemistry attendant.
“In the secondary level, there is an urgent need to post 15 trained graduate teachers, and three laboratory staff,” the principal said.
Chairman of the alumni association, Dosh Dasi, said the association has submitted a representation to the secondary education director for immediate posting of all required subject teachers at the school.
He requested the alumni members staying in Itanagar to take up with the education department the matter of “creation of double PGT posts and immediate posting of subject teachers before the commencement of the 2020-21 academic session.”
Dasi meanwhile informed the participants that the six teachers hired and sponsored by the alumni association “are working sincerely.”
He called for conducting a cadastral map survey by the land management department “to identify and locate the illegal allotments, encroachment, and remaining school land to avoid further encroachment from wrong citizens.”
APSTS Station Superintendent Tutar Dulom advised the alumni association to have the damaged portion of the school boundary constructed at the earliest “by voluntary contributions from the alumni members.”
He advised the principal to “restrict the enrollment of feeder students to avoid going beyond the specified enrollment and burdening the teachers as well as students.”
The alumni team also visited the teachers’ common room, the damaged portion of the school boundary wall, the encroached quarters of the principal, and the government college operating from the GHSS land, besides taking stock of the ongoing construction of the auditorium and classroom buildings, and the separate toilets for boys and girls constructed by the alumni association.
The members raised fund during the meeting, and called for “voluntary one percent annual minimum contribution from former students who are government employees.”
