As the Heirok Higher Secondary School in Thoubal district has been functioning without both a regular principal and a vice-principal, the students on Friday staged a protest within the school campus demanding the immediate appointment of a regular principal.
During the protest, the students held placards that read: “Appoint a Regular Principal Immediately”, “Ensure Normal Functioning of the School”, “Government Must Act Responsibly”, and “Save School, Save Students”, while also shouting slogans.
Speaking to the media, Khundongbam Pari, a Class XI student, said that since the transfer of the school’s former principal last month, there has been no replacement. With no regular principal and no vice-principal, many important school activities have been left incomplete. The students, therefore, strongly demanded the immediate appointment of both a regular principal and a vice-principal.
Meanwhile, Sapam Subol, Physics lecturer at the school, explained that after the transfer of the former regular principal, Jayenta, on September 12, the school has been facing serious administrative difficulties as no new principal or vice-principal has been appointed. He further said that with both posts lying vacant, the school is running without proper authority.
He added that although a memorandum has already been submitted to the ZEO Thoubal and the Education Secretary on September 24, the government has not taken any steps so far. At present, students are facing difficulties in obtaining reading certificates and other official documents, as no authorized head is available to sign them. Even students selected for inter-state school games are unable to proceed because of the absence of a principal’s signature.
Teachers are also suffering, as their salaries cannot be processed without the principal’s approval. The mid-day meal scheme of the school has also been disrupted, he mentioned. Highlighting all these issues, the teachers appealed to the authorities to immediately appoint a regular principal and a vice-principal at Heirok Higher Secondary School.
