Government High School (GHS) Zuketsa, the only high school within the Zuketsa administrative jurisdiction, has been facing “undue hardship due to acute shortage of teachers and prolonged non-posting of headmaster and assistant headmaster”.
This was stated in a joint statement by Zuketsa Area Public Organisation (ZAPO), village councils of Zapami, Lasumi, Leshemi and Lewoza and Zuketsa Adhoc Town Committee.
The joint statement by ZAPO president Sabou Krome, VCC Zapami Zewekha Wetsah, VCC Lasumi Kedulhipe Kromi, VCC Leshemi Ngupelo Lasushe and Zuketsa Adhoc Town chairman, Neigulo Khutso stated that despite repeated appeals to the department of school education, Nagaland for posting of headmaster, assistant headmaster and subject teachers no response has been forthcoming till date.
The signatories said the last headmaster was transferred in May 2020 and the assistant headmaster retired in January, 2019 without any replacement. Following teachers either retired or transferred out and no replacements – GT English teacher retired in 2018, Hindi teacher retired in 2020, GT SS upgraded as PGT and transferred out 2020, Maths teacher resigned in 2020 and GT SS expired 2020.
The signatories said at present the school was managed by five graduate teachers and three undergraduate teachers without headmaster and assistant headmaster.
Under such trying circumstances, they said the management of the school has been left to the mercy of existing teachers and the students have been of subject teachers.
“This total injustice has ruined the future of many students in the past and which continues to be so even at present, which is totally unjustifiable,” read the joint statement.
The signatories also expressed dismay that the department has left a blind eye to the hardships faced by the students and the people of the area and deeply regretted that while some schools are functioning with excess number of teachers school like GHS Zuketsa have been side-lined and made to suffer total negligence of the department.
Pointing out that GHS Zuketsa has five feeder schools namely- GMS Zapami, GMS Lasumi, GMS Leshemi, GPS Lewoza and Living Christian School Zuketsa Adhoc Town, the signatories’ said GHS Zeketsa is the only high school within the Zuketsa administrative jurisdiction with four villages and one township, catering mostly to the under privileged sections (rural poor).
As responsible community leaders, the signatories said it reassures full community support and intervention to the state government. However, cautioned that it would no longer tolerate “continual discrimination of the school by the government and the department”.