Kamalanagar, 6 Dec. 2016: Some 300 hundred teachers from across CADC attended the 13th Annual Conference of Chakma District Council Teachers’ Association held at Public School, Kamalanagar.

The CDCTA submitted a memorandum on 11 points to the CEM, CADC Dg. K.K. Tongchangya who graced the occasion as Chief Guest. Dg. Parimal Chakma, EM i/c Middle School and Dg. Amarsmriti Chakma, EM i/c Primary School also attended the programme.
Some of the points of demand of the teachers placed through the memorandum are award of training benefit, senior grade/selection grade on seniority/eligibility basis, to designate the head teachers, continuation of Chakma Language Proficiency Examination and revision of Chakma Language Allowance, to set up separate management for nursery section, recruitment of staff of Education department only from amongst the senior eligible teachers, continuation of inter school sport meet in CADC, etc.

CEM, CADC while replying to the demands so made said, “The head teachers can be designated on the basis of eligibility and all such teachers will have to take turn for posting in all the schools which will entail sorting out of hard and soft postings areas sitting together with CDCTA. The culture of substitute teacher has to be stopped for once and all and for that the CDCTA have to cooperate.”

While referring to frequent involvement of school students of Primary and Middle school levels in agitation by NGOs he urged the CDCTA to deliberate on the matter and opined that primary and middle school level students are not mature enough of discrimination. “However, High school, Higher secondary and college going students may take part”, he said.

Stating the literacy rate of CADC being very poor at 46% the CEM, CADC requested the teachers to cooperate in the literacy drive to be undertaken by the Adult Education department.

“A project on school building infrastructure have been submitted to NEC for development of the schools”, he informed the conference.
From the next academic session the District School Education Board will introduce Common Question Paper for the term examination.

Dg Parimal Chakma, EM said, “The resumption of Chakma Language Proficiency Examination have been already discussed and approved.”
He further said, “There is a wrong perception about CCE with regards to the belief that no students can fail under the system. CCE makes no mention as such as I am told by our CEO Dg. Sadananda Chakma. CCE understands that all such students who fail to score fairly in the unit tests taken continuously are required to be given remedial courses by the teachers in order to enable such students to graduate to the next class.”

Ven. Buddha Jyoti Thera representative of MBS while appreciating the CADC authority for introducing a class on moral education coupled with 10 minutes Anapana meditation said, “A man can be complete only if he is nurtured in formal education and spiritual wisdom.”

“The teachers have to take up a dual role of a teacher and a spiritual guru given the circumstance with many of our villages still without a Mandir. A teacher who harms a generation of students by not being sincere with his duty sin against a whole community; the sin so committed is graver than that of doctor who kills a patient due to negligence.”

For the 10 minute Anapana meditation introduced in school to be really effective he expressed strongly, “It is imperative that all the teachers undergo 10-Day vippassana meditation course at least once.”
Representative Dg. Ramesh Chakma of Chakma School Teacher Association (CSTA) of Lunglei District with two of his colleagues attended the conference. Speaking on the occasion proposed for a sort of merger of CDCTA and CSTA in order to work together for the welfare of all Chakma teachers in Mizoram. He also placed a request to deliberate on how learning of the Chakma language can be introduced in Chakma schools outside CADC.