KSO CCpur Inspects Government Schools, Expresses Disappointment Over Conditions and Teacher Attendance

A six-member inspection team from the Education Department of the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO), Churachandpur, paid a surprise visit to two government high schools in Churachandpur district on Wednesday.

The KSO team first visited Gandhi Memorial Government High School, Molnom, and Kumbipukhri (Koite) High School, Koite. After visiting the schools, the KSO Education Department expressed concern over serious lapses observed, including gross irregularities in teacher attendance, ineffective school management, deteriorating infrastructure, and the absence of essential educational facilities in both institutions.

KSO stated that the condition of Kumbipukhri Government High School is particularly alarming, as the unsafe and dilapidated structure poses an immediate and unacceptable risk to the lives of students and staff.

The KSO-Churachandpur Education Department firmly called upon the concerned authorities to treat the matter with utmost urgency and priority.

At Gandhi Memorial Government High School, Molnom, which has a total of 981 students (434 boys and 547 girls), the team found that most teachers had already signed the departure register around 11:15 a.m., even though the official school hours, as per the staff attendance register, are from 8:30 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.

The team also found that some teachers were not marking their attendance, raising serious concerns regarding adherence to duty hours.

The visiting team reported that the walls of all classrooms were extensively defaced with scribbles and graffiti, including inappropriate and obscene words, creating an environment that is not conducive to learning and reflecting poor discipline and maintenance.

One of the classrooms (Class VIII) was found unattended during the inspection, with more than 100 students present without a teacher. The KSO team also noted that the overall cleanliness of the campus was unsatisfactory, with litter and discarded papers scattered everywhere.

The headmaster informed the team that the school requires infrastructure repairs, additional rooms for vocational classes (IT and cosmetology), a science laboratory, a conference hall, and is in urgent need of a mathematics teacher.

While visiting Kumbipukhri (Koite) High School, Koite, the KSO team observed that some teachers had signed the departure register as early as 1:06 p.m., even though the official school hours, as per the attendance register, are from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The KSO team stated that such conduct indicates irregular attendance recording and non-compliance with prescribed duty hours. According to the school headmaster, the school has 400 students (183 boys and 217 girls) and urgently requires the construction of a new building due to its dilapidated condition (including decomposed wooden trusses and crumbling walls posing safety risks), as well as additional benches and desks, compound fencing, and a library room.