CPIML MLA Organizes Stakeholders’ Dialogue in Bhojpur

Manoj Manzil, CPIML MLA from Agiaon constituency in Bhojpur presided over a student-teacher-guardian dialogue on 16 April at Kaup High School in Gadhani. He happens to be the president of the school management board in capacity of the MLA from the area. This was quite unprecedented for the parents, teachers and students to have their own MLA in such a meeting to discuss problems regarding the education of their children face to face with an elected representative. MLAs are the school committees’ chairperson of the schools in their respective areas in their official capacity but none had ever visited and taken interest in the children’s schooling. Comrade Manoj Manzil himself called for such a meeting and his staff encouraged parents to attend and share their feelings. This was first of its kind to have a direct dialogue centred on better running and development of the school and quality education.

Manoj Manzil is well known for his Sadak Par School movement which he conducted even before he was elected as a member of legislative assembly. This movement highlighted the utter neglect and rampant corruption in Bihar’s education system victimising lakhs of students from poor background by depriving them of quality education by not providing proper school buildings and class rooms and even teachers. His concerns and CPIML’s struggle for the right to universal and free education to all continue, resulting in such initiatives.

The dialogue was intended to fill the gaps created by official neglect and to find out the points where immediate action is needed. The MLA also invited all concerned officials to the meeting/dialogue while he also tried to telephonically talk to the officials who couldn’t attend the meeting and asked for the immediate resolution of the students’ issues. Here is a summary of the discussion and outcomes: The dialogue revealed that there are only 2 teachers for Maths and Science at Kaup High School and no teachers for basic subjects including English, Social Science, Sanskrit, Computers, PT and Music. There is also no clerk and no librarian.

There is a dire lack of basic facilities in the school. There is no drinking water and no toilets. Boy students use the open ground for relieving themselves and leave the class as and when required. But girl students are constrained to go back to their homes if they need to use the toilet, especially when they are going through periods. Often they are forced to drop out of school to avoid making frequent trips to and from school.

Despite being a High School, there are no benches for the children to sit and no boundary wall for the school. There is only 50% attendance in classes. On 16 April, 27 girl students and 24 boy students were present out of the 93 students enrolled in Class X. As the Education Department did not make the Transfer Certificate books available to the school on time, there has been no enrolment for Class IX for the session 2022-23 whereas enrolment should have commenced from 1 April. Speaking at the meeting, student Jayanti Kumari said, we have to go out of the school for drinking water and use of washroom. Santosh Kumar wanted a library with books to read. Many guardians also expressed their views. Manoj Manzil immediately spoke to DEO who assured him that the hand pump and toilet would be repaired within two weeks.

Manoj Manzil told us that the BJP-JDU government wants to snatch away education from poor children whom they want to keep only as voters and unskilled work force. Our party will not allow the government to succeed in this malicious intent, and I will fight on the streets as well as inside the Assembly for the development of the school and quality education. Matric exam toppers among girls and boys (Jayanti Kumari, Arati Kumari, Khushi Kumari, Sumit Kumar, Neeraj Kumar Rai, Pankaj Kumar Rai) were also honoured at the meeting. The dialogue was attended by officials including MLA Manoj Manzil, BEO Shambhu Nath Singh, BRP Sarvajit Kumar, Headmaster Nandji Singh, many people's representatives which was very much liked and welcomed by the parents, teachers and the students alike.