6 July 2010: There are insufficient benches in the government’s middle school, so students attend school in rotation, one batch after the other in Tiau village, Rihkhawdar Township of sub-Falam Township northern Chin state, Burma.

“The school building was reconstructed by villagers after a cyclone damaged it. Now there are 1200 students. Because of increasing student strength and inadequate benches the school periods have been divided into two shifts,” said a teacher in Tiau village.

The first shift is from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and the second shift is from 1 pm to 5 pm. The students can study only four hours a day in the school and cannot finish the syllabus.

The villagers had reported this to the concerned department as the school is government administered but there has been no response.

The middle school was visited by Chin state tactical commander General Hung Ngai after the cyclone. He promised to reconstruct the school, but so far there is no initiative from the government.
Similarly, a government primary school with 30 students in Congte village also known as Khuathar village a mile from Falam town is not run regularly as most of the teachers are relocated to Falam town.

“The government had appointed a teacher in the school, but as other teachers were transferred to Falam town, she didn’t attend school but she took her salary for June. There is no student in the school. We don’t know how long the teacher will stay in the village,” said a local in Congte.

The school was established in 1986 by the junta with 30 to 40 students.