Correspondent
WOKHA, NOV 9 (NPN): Lotha Middle Range Students’ Union (LMRSU) on Monday resumed its phase-II agitation over the shortage of teachers at Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS), Sungro, resulting in the closure of 32 government schools and the office of the Sub-Divisional Education Officer (SDEO), Sanis, until further notice.
The affected institutions comprise 18 government primary schools, six middle schools, seven high schools and one higher secondary school. The union warned that failure by the department of school education to address its demands could lead to a third phase of agitation, including a blanket bandh across the Middle Range.
Addressing a press conference at Sanis, LMRSU president Rhonbemo Murry said the union had been pursuing the issue since March 2025, when a unit tour conducted from March 4 to 6 exposed acute teacher shortages in several schools under its jurisdiction. The union subsequently submitted its first representation to the principal director of school education on March 28, followed by a memorandum on May 19. With no concrete response forthcoming, it held a press conference on August 26 and served a seven-day ultimatum. The agitation was temporarily suspended following verbal assurances from the department, but Murry said no meaningful action was taken thereafter.
He said civil society organisations in Sungro circle had initially raised the issue before the LMRSU intervened, as GHSS Sungro fell within its jurisdiction.
The union renewed its demand through another press conference on November 3, 2026, giving the department 48 hours to provide written assurance on filling the vacancies.
Murry said GHSS Sungro has 153 students from Classes VI to XII and is the second-largest higher secondary school in Wokha district in terms of enrolment, after GHSS Wokha. Serving seven villages under the Sungro Range, the institution has only five postgraduate teachers (PGTs), two of whom are currently on maternity leave. This has left several subjects without regular classes, disrupted academic activities and affected syllabus completion, particularly for students preparing for board examinations.
The union has demanded the appointment of two PGTs, two graduate teachers (GTs) and two primary teachers, besides retention of the graduate mathematics teacher post. It has also sought one lower division assistant-cum-upper division assistant (LDA-cum-UDA), one science laboratory attendant, additional graduate teachers in English and other subjects, PGTs for the higher secondary section and a graduate Hindi teacher. While acknowledging the difficulty of finding a qualified Lotha language teacher due to the shortage of eligible candidates, Murry maintained that the crisis extended far beyond the language subject and required comprehensive intervention.
Reacting to recent assurances by advisor for school education Dr. KekhrielhoulieYhome regarding interim arrangements for the school, Murry said the union remained dissatisfied as its demands covered vacancies across several subjects. He stressed that temporary arrangements would not provide the continuity required for effective teaching and that the union was seeking permanent appointments backed by written assurance from the department.
The union also raised the alleged non-implementation of teacher transfer orders at Government Primary School (GPS), Pangti Sector A. Murry disclosed that the school has 30 students and six teachers, while two additional teachers transferred through a departmental order dated August 18, 2026, were yet to report for duty. Despite submitting a written representation, he said the union had received no response.
Murry appealed to parents, civil society organisations, student bodies and the public to support the agitation, stressing that the issue concerned the academic future of students and the wider community. He warned that the next phase could involve the closure of both government and private schools and restrictions on vehicular movement across the Middle Range if the department failed to provide written assurance. However, he said the union remained open to dialogue and called for immediate departmental intervention to fill the vacancies and restore uninterrupted academic activities.