Arunachal schools

Itanagar, March 12: With quality education ‘eluding’ the late starter Arunachal Pradesh despite a significant rise in the number of government schools – from three (since Independence) to 3,000 till last year, the State Government was ‘compelled’ to close down around 700 schools with zero enrollments.

“Till last year, we had at least 3,000 government schools across the state. On closer inspection, we found that several were defunct and several had zero enrollments. We were forced to close down about 700 schools to date,” disclosed Chief Minister Pema Khandu during a function at Lumdung in East Kameng district.

He also mentioned that “Earlier we had less number of schools but the quality of education was exceptional. As time passed we started establishing schools randomly, maybe due to political compulsions.”

Reiterating his government’s commitment to overhauling the education system in the State, Khandu said, “Today, we are concentrating on running schools with proper infrastructure, a sufficient number of teachers as well as students providing quality education.”

Visiting Arunachal West District with Union law Minister Kiren Rijiju, Prime Minister inaugurated the new infrastructure projects: Administration Block (Saradananda Bhawan), Academic Block (Vivekananda Bhawan), Activity Block (Nivedita Bhawan) and Laboratory Scientist Jambey Tashi of the Ramakrishna Vidyapeeth Mission on his permanent Campus in Lumdung, the cornerstone of which was laid in October 2018.

Khandu commended the establishment of the RK Vidyapeeth Mission in Lumdung to meet the needs of the people of western Arunachal Pradesh, noting that it was long overdue.

“The Central sector got the first RKM school at Aalo in 1966 and the eastern sector got it’s at Narottamnagar in 1972. The dream of the people of the western sector to have its own share of a quality institution like RKM has now been fulfilled,” he said.

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He expressed gratitude to the people of Lumdung for donating land free of cost for the establishment of the school and giving the school authority a free hand in the creation of school infrastructure. The Chief Minister informed that since 2018, the government has spent Rs 36.75 crore in the establishment and development of the Lumdung RKM school.

“We will be developing this school up to the higher secondary level, for which government will provide sufficient funds. In this year’s Budget, we have allocated Rs 29.3 crore for the school as grants-in-aid,” he informed.

In line with the education system in RKM schools and Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas, Khandu said the State Government has started dovetailing contemporary education with cultural learning through Gurukul-type institutions. He said enough provisions are being kept in the Budget for supporting such institutions with the first one established at Rang village near Seppa in East Kameng.

Similar Gurukul has also been established in Lower Subansiri district and at Basar in Leparada district while more are in the pipeline at Pasighat and in Tirap, he informed.

Present on the occasion were Swami Gautamananda, Vice President, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Education Minister Taba Tedir, local legislator cum Forest Minister Mama Natung, MLAs Tsering Lhamu, Phurpa Tsering, Kumsi Sidisow, Dongru Siongju, Dorjee Wangdi Kharma, Tapuk Taku, Hayeng Mangfi, Goruk Pordung, BR Wahge and Ojing Tasing, and Chief Secretary Dharmendra, among others.

Later in the evening, the Chief Minister along with Rijiju and other dignitaries inaugurated the three-day inter-tribe youth festival ‘YuvaSamanvay’. He also unveiled the statue of Ato Ringso, the great-grandfather of the Natung clan, and inaugurated a convention hall named after him.