IMPHAL: The Manipur government has announced that it has re-admitted 15,641 displaced students taking shelter in 347 relief camps across the state, in nearby schools.
Stressing that education of the victims of the ongoing strife is a priority for the government, Manipur’s Education Minister, Thounaojam Basantakumar Singh, on Thursday, informed that only 274 students are yet to be re-enrolled in schools.
He further informed that till October 23, the state has witnessed an encouraging attendance rate of 77%, while 26 schools located in areas such as Churachandpur, Imphal East, and Jiribam districts, remain shut.
“They were being used as relief camps or for accommodating personnel of Central Armed Police Forces,” he told the press.
Detailing the relief measures initiated for the displaced students, Singh said, “Their readmission into neighbouring schools has been made free of charge. We have appointed designated officers from the school education department to oversee these free admissions and to distribute essentials like textbooks, notebooks, stationery, and uniforms.”
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Additionally, identity cards have been handed out to the affected students to facilitate the recovery of academic documents and certificates lost during the violence, he continued.
Understanding the academic loss students might face, Singh announced, “To ensure students complete their syllabus, we’re considering shortening the winter break and extending class hours on Saturdays. An official directive on this will be released soon.”
He also brought attention to Lairik, an educational TV channel on Jio TV, that has been designed to provide free e-learning content to students in these trying times.
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Moreover, the Chief Minister College Students Rehabilitation Scheme 2023 has been rolled out, promising free college admissions.
On the issue of restoring mobile internet services, Singh stated, “We are in the advanced stages of discussions and intend to resume mobile internet services in the next few days, taking into account the feedback from our security agencies.”
