June 2, 2026 (Kakching): Students and parents of Waikhong Government High School staged a protest demonstration on Tuesday, demanding the immediate appointment of adequate teaching staff at the school.
The protesters, including around 260 enrolled students and their parents, gathered on the school premises and expressed concern over the acute shortage of teachers, which they said is severely affecting the education of the students. They urged the government to take urgent measures to address the issue.
Speaking during the protest, School Management Committee (SMC) President Shamjetsabam Achou stated that Waikhong and its surrounding areas are predominantly inhabited by members of the Scheduled Caste community, where education remains a priority for many families. He said the school has been functioning for many years and was revived through the collective efforts of local residents and the SMC during the 2024–25 academic session.
He highlighted that in the recent BOSEM-conducted HSLC Examination, nine students from the school appeared for the examination, of whom seven passed in the first and second divisions, while two received compartmental results. Despite the encouraging academic performance, the school currently has only three primary teachers and two contractual teachers for the high school section. To make matters worse, another teacher has recently been transferred, further aggravating the shortage.
According to the SMC President, the committee has been managing the situation by engaging nearly eight volunteer teachers to support the students. However, he stressed that this arrangement is not sustainable and appealed to the government to immediately post an adequate number of regular teachers at the school.
A Class IX student participating in the protest said that while the school faces several infrastructure- and equipment-related shortcomings, the most pressing concern is the lack of teachers. Due to the shortage, classes are frequently disrupted, negatively impacting students’ education and future prospects. The student urged the government to appoint teachers without delay and warned that students and parents would intensify their agitation if their demands are not met.
Parents also voiced their concerns, stating that they send their children to school to receive a proper education, not to waste valuable academic time. They appealed to the government and concerned authorities to safeguard the future of the students by ensuring sufficient teaching staff at the school.
During the protest, students carried placards bearing slogans such as “No Teacher, No Future,” “We Need Teachers, Not Empty Classrooms,” “Give Us Teachers, Give Us Hope,” “Books Need Teachers,” and “We Want to Study.”
Meanwhile, media personnel who visited the school observed several infrastructural deficiencies. The boys’ toilet was reportedly unusable, boundary fencing was absent, and the newly constructed school building was found to be unfinished. The old building was found to be unsuitable for conducting classes during rainfall due to leakage and related issues. Cracked flooring and other structural shortcomings were also observed, creating an unconducive learning environment for students.
