Sun Apr 13 13:57:10 UTC 2025: ## Historic Manipur School Crumbles, Leaving Hundreds of Students in Limbo
**Ukhrul, Manipur:** Paocham High School, a once-renowned institution in Manipur’s Ukhrul district, is falling apart, leaving its students and the community in despair. Established in 1959, the school, which boasts a history of producing successful professionals, now faces severe disrepair. Its classrooms, described as having holes large enough to fit a car and dangling window frames, present a stark contrast to its illustrious past.
Images show a grim reality: a classroom with only four benches accommodating six students and a teacher, all amidst crumbling walls and a hard-packed mud floor. While the school underwent renovations in 2009-10 under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), damage sustained during a 2015 cyclone appears to have been largely ignored.
The school, the only government high school serving three villages with a combined population of over 5,000, now grapples with a severe shortage of teachers. The sanctioned teaching strength has plummeted from 28 in 2012 to a mere 15 today, with only six teachers currently employed.
Local residents, including Tennoson Pheirei, have repeatedly appealed to authorities for repairs, to no avail. They lament the school’s deterioration, highlighting its significance as a vital educational resource in the region. Juneme Longleng of the Phungcham Katamnao Mayar Ngala Long civil society organization criticized the state’s inaction and questioned its priorities, pointing out that maintaining the school would likely cost less than a single large-scale state event.
The Manipur Education Department has yet to respond to requests for comment. The state currently operates under President’s Rule. The plight of Paocham High School underscores a critical need for government intervention to restore this vital educational institution and ensure the future of its students.
First Piper 