Admission crisis continues to haunt Chakma students

By Tejang Chakma

IT SEEMS there is no end to the admission crisis among the Chakma students of Arunachal Pradesh. At least 14 Chakma students, who passed class 8th from Govt. Middle School, Dharmapur under Miao circle in Changlang district, have been denied admission to class 9 at Govt. Higher Secondary School, Miao.

Since the last few years, the Chakma students in two circles of Miao and Kharsang have been dropping out after upper primary level due to denial of admission in neighborhood secondary schools.

Pursuant to intervention of the NCPCR (DO letter No. 4A/2011-12/Misc/NEC/NCPCR/1548 dated 27.6.2012 to Secretary (Political), Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh), the Govt. Higher Secondary School, Kharsang and Govt. Higher Secondary School, Miao started admitting Chakma students from this month. About 51 students have been admitted in the two schools. 37 in Govt. HS School, Kharsang and 14 in Govt. HS School, Miao respectively.

However, at least 14 Chakma students of Govt. Middle School, Dharmapur under Miao Circle have been refused admission to Class 9th at the Govt. Higher Secondary School, Miao in violation of the order of the NCPCR, the apex child rights body in India. Following NCPCR’s order, the parents/guardians approached the Principal of the school and the local administration for admission of their wards, but returned dejected.

It has been learnt that admission was refused on the ground that “no order has been received by the Govt. Higher Secondary School, Miao to admit students from Govt. Middle School, Dharmapur.”

Another pretext craftily used to deny admission was the “issue of jurisdiction” of the Dharmapur school. Following refusal of admission by the school, the parents/guardians met the Extra Assistant Commissioner (EAC), Miao. To the astonishment of the guardians, the EAC brought fore the issue of jurisdiction of the middle school i.e. whether or not the Dharmapur Middle school is feeder to Govt. Higher Secondary School, Miao. Accordingly, the EAC instructed the Circle Officer, Miao to ascertain the feeder status of the school.

It is not known what forced the EAC, Miao to question the feeder status of the Dharmapur Middle School. There is no doubt that Dharmapur Middle School is feeder to Miao Secondary School. Official records show that Dharmapur village falls under Miao administrative circle. The EAC, Miao being the administrative officer is fully aware of this fact.

This gives the impression that the grounds propounded for refusal of admission are only lame excuses aimed at delaying, if not denying admission to the Chakma students of Dharmapur.

Published by Merinews, 13 July 2012