Class-9 student appeals to Manipur governor over acute teacher shortage at T. Vaichon High School

A Class-9 student from T. Vaichong Government High School has written directly to the Governor, urging immediate action to address the severe shortage of qualified teachers at the school.

Eddy Dahal, Vice-Captain of the school, submitted his letter through the Deputy Commissioner of Kangpokpi, stating that while the school enjoys good infrastructure and strong student enrollment under flagship initiatives such as the PM SHRI Schools programme and the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, it suffers from a lack of subject-specific teachers. “Our achievements in academics and co-curricular activities are now at risk of collapse,” Dahal wrote, appealing for the provision of “the best subject-specialised teachers from the state.”

Students of T. Vaichong also staged a silent protest, holding pamphlets to highlight their demand for adequate teaching staff and the negative impact of the shortage on their learning.

Echoing these concerns, the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), Twilang Block, submitted a memorandum to the Governor through its Education Secretary, Thangkholim Kipgen. The memorandum revealed that of 21 sanctioned teacher posts, only 8 are currently filled. Core subjects, including Mathematics, Science, English, Hindi, and MIL remain without qualified teachers, while the transfer of existing staff has further disrupted learning and student enrollment.

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The KSO also pointed out infrastructural deficiencies, including the absence of music and arts teachers, peons, lab technicians, functional science and mathematics laboratories, a library, a computer lab, adequate classrooms, toilets, and drinking water facilities. The organisation urged the government to urgently fill vacancies, maintain the student-teacher ratio as per norms, and stop transferring teachers mid-session without confirmed replacements.

“Without urgent intervention, the academic prospects of hundreds of students will remain in jeopardy,” Kipgen warned.

The appeals from both the student and the community student body underscore the widening gap between government policy promises and on-ground realities in remote areas. With T. Vaichong Government High School being an important institution under central and state flagship missions, the ball is now in the Governor’s court as students, parents, and community leaders await swift action to safeguard the future of the school’s children.