Former WSYF president raises concern over merger and closure of rural schools

DIMAPUR: Former president of the Western Sumi Youth Front (WSYF), Mughavi Awomi, has expressed concern over the State Government’s ongoing rationalisation and restructuring of government schools, particularly the proposed merger and closure of schools in rural and remote areas.
In a press statement, Awomi acknowledged the government’s initiative to rationalise and restructure government schools with the objective of improving the quality of education. However, he urged the government to take into consideration the ground realities faced by rural schools before implementing merger and closure measures.
He pointed out that many rural schools continue to face inadequate infrastructure, insufficient classrooms, lack of basic facilities, shortage of teachers and particularly, a lack of subject teachers. According to him, these shortcomings directly affect the academic performance and overall development of students.
Awomi argued that the performance of rural schools should not be assessed without first providing them with adequate infrastructure and human resources. He also alleged that rationalisation has, in several instances, resulted in teachers and sanctioned posts being shifted away from rural schools, further weakening the institutions.
He called on the State Government to prioritise strengthening rural schools by providing adequate teachers, subject teachers, infrastructure and other essential facilities. He also suggested establishing a proper monitoring mechanism to assess the progress of individual schools. Awomi proposed that rural schools be given at least two to three years after receiving the necessary resources to demonstrate measurable improvement. He said that only after such a period of genuine support and objective assessment should the question of merger or closure be considered, and only as a last resort where a school is demonstrably unable to sustain itself.
Emphasising the importance of equal access to education, Awomi said school policies should take into account geographical realities, accessibility, socio-economic conditions and the long-term interests of students in rural and remote areas. He urged the State Government to reconsider the merger and closure of rural schools and adopt a balanced, inclusive and long-term approach to ensure that children, irrespective of where they live, have access to quality and accessible education.