Behiang determined to ensure education for its children

From M Kaimuanthang
Lamka, Dec 24 : Even at a time the Central government spends huge amounts of money running into crores of rupees so as to boost literacy rate of the country, many people are still living in the world of ignorance and poverty due to lack of education to date. 
Many ambitious schemes like the Sarva Siksha Abhyan, SSA, besides others launched so far by the government does not yield the desired result and for that matter the mind boggling problems of how to acquaint rural poor with atleast basic education has continued to remained unaddressed.
High rate of school dropouts in the rural areas is the natural result due to various reasons.
According to a survey conducted by IFP in Singngat Behaing areas which isregarded as one of the most backward and illiterate areas of Churachandpur district atleast six childrens per village in the area drop out of school each year.
About 65 or more students from about 14 villages also drop out of schools in the area each year after completing their classes IV or V. 
While talking to the parents of these school drop outs about the reasons, it was discovered that most of these students discontinued their studies as they had no hope to afford attending higher classes in towns particularly in privately run schools in Churachandpur after classes V standards.
At the same areas for 13 villages there exist a grant in aid schools with 35 teachers who draws altogether an annual salary to the tune of Rs 5,20,930. 
There have also been about 22 district council school with the teachers drawing an amount of Rs. 4,84,000 annually.  Apart from this there are schoolless teachers under the ZEO besides other mission schools under various church denomination. 
Inspite of this the education standard of the people continued to remained backward.
Concerned by the situation the United Zou Organisation, UZO, launched a new Education Policy and Programmes with a plan to established a school catering education upto Class X standard at three villages into the areas of Behiang, Muallum, Tuining and Sachih villages from the next year.
The UZO leadership under the president GS Haupu and general secretaryChinminthang organised on December 22 a public discussion at Behiang on the new UZO education policy which was attended by a good number of senior citizens and parents from the areas.
During the discussions it was agreed by one and all that education isindispensableand all must try every possible means to set up a school of Class-X standards in all the four villages. 
GS Haupu the UZO president said that development in education is the need for all and added that it is painful to see children dropping out of school after completing Class V only. 
He has also made a point that inspite of the existence of so many schools on paper, children could not make any headway in the field of education.
He said it is for the parents to do a rethink over reasons of such a state ofunderdevelopment and find an alternative.