Hills schools confused most schools play safe, to reopen only from 13 september Darjeeling, 8 August: Contradictory announcements by GJMM leaders has left the Hills schools confused as to whether or not to operate classes during the two-day breather on 9 and 10 September. A day after the general secretary to the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) Mr Roshan Giri announced that schools and offices would be allowed to function during the two-day breather, the members of the Janmukti Secondary Teachers Organisation (JSTO) and Gorkha Primary Teachers Organisation (GPTO) are in a view to reopen schools and colleges only from 13 September onwards. The members of the JSTO and GPTO have been handed over responsibility to resolve the plight of the schools when it normalises from 13 September onwards. Everything else has been announced to be shuttered. It can be recalled that on 5 September, the JSTO after holding a meeting with the GJMM leadership and the management of various schools, told reporters that the decision has been reached to reopen schools from 13 September onwards. A day after, the Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee (GJAC) coordinator Mr Raju Pradhan, after the meeting, said that schools and offices will not be allowed to function during the two-day breather on 9 and 10 September. Mr Giri yesterday announced that the schools and colleges can function normally during the two-day breather. The reason for the leaders frequently making amendments to their announcement is not yet clear. The GJAC chairman, Mr Enos Das Pradhan, had already made it clear that 9 and 10 September are the days for the boarders to come back to Hills to rejoin their classes from 13 September onwards. Today, the JSTO members held a meeting at Kalimpong regarding the confusion. “The decision has been reached that we stand firm in our earlier decision to reopen schools only from 13 September onwards. However, the schools can carry on with their official work like registration for the Madhyamik and ICSE examination, attendance and many others during the two-day breather but studies will may resume only from 13 September onwards,” said the member of the organisation, Mr Hemant Gurung. He said: “Though we have already informed most of the managements of the schools about it, there is a possibility of problems likely to be experienced in many schools due to this lack of coordination.” The principal of St Robert Higher Secondary School, Father Peter Lyangden, said: “We are totally uncertain whether or not to operate classes from tomorrow and day after due to uncertainty in these announcements. If students come, we will have classes.” On the other hand, other schools like Loreto Convent, St Teresa higher secondary school, St Joseph School, of Darjeeling have decided that the classes will be resumed only from 13 September onwards. “Although no studies will commence till 13 September, schools will remain open for the boarders,” said the principal of St Joseph School, Father Santy Matthews. Of 40 ICSE schools in the hills, 30 have boarding facilities. Mr Rajesh Rajak, a parent and a local said: “I’m sending the children to school. The management of the school has informed me that if the school is allowed to open, it will have classes. If not, they will send back the students.” On the other hand, the students of ages 12 and 18 have decided to walk in a procession tomorrow from Darjeeling to Kalimpong to strengthen the statehood stir. This was announced by one of the students yesterday at the public meeting and was also said by the GJMM chief Mr Bimal Gurung today in a separate meet with the reporters. sns
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 04:52:57 +0000
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