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Mizoram: Students march 45 km in a day for upgradation of their school’s status
The students’ union leaders from the higher secondary school on September 20 decided to take up the long march to personally deliver a letter of appeal to chief minister Zoramthanga and state education minister Lalchhandama Ralte
Students from Mizoram’s Thingsulthliah Higher Secondary on Wednesday walked 45 kilometres from their village to the state capital Aizawl, in demand for their school to be upgraded from the lump-sum ‘grant-in-aid’ category to ‘adhoc-grant-in-aid status’.
The students’ union leaders on September 20 decided to take up the long march to personally deliver a letter of appeal to chief minister Zoramthanga and state education minister Lalchhandama Ralte for the upgradation of their school’s status.
The students, who marched on foot for over 10 hours in one day to deliver the letter, received massive support from their village, where shops, offices and educational institutions were shut down from 9am to 1pm.
Around 3pm on Wednesday, the students reached the outskirts of the capital Aizawl, where they were received by the president and members of the Mizo Students’ Union.
Seven members from the school’s student union body, along with the Mizo Students’ Union, will meet CM Zoramthanga at 10am on Thursday and will submit the letter of appeal for the upgradation of their school’s status, said people familiar with the development.
Speaking to media persons on Wednesday, Thingsulthliah Higher Secondary School principal R. Lalfakawma, said they have been demanding the status upgrade from the government since they promised it in 2018.
“The school was established by the Thingsulthliah Village Council in 2004. During the 2018 general election campaign, the government promised to upgrade our institution from the lump-sum grant-in-aid category to ad-hoc-grant-in-aid status, but the promise has not been delivered till today.”
“For this, the joint action committee for the school’s upgradation has been working tirelessly,” he added.
“We understand that the Covid pandemic hampered many developmental works, but with the upcoming general election, we fear that our 19-year-old school will fail to see the commitment that was promised to us,” said Lalfakawma.
Thingsulthliah Higher Secondary School currently has 156 students with 13 staff. The school currently has the highest record of enrollment among single educational institutions in villages of Mizoram.
It is worth mentioning that ad hoc-grant-in-aid status has advantages where the teachers get basic pay with half an amount of allowance. Whereas in the lump-sum grant-in-aid, the institution receives just a yearly grant of three lakhs.
“The students have to pay a monthly fee, which is a huge burden for the parents as the majority of them are daily wagers. Ad hoc-grant-in-aid status will be of great benefit for the whole village,” said Principal Lalfakawma.
