In the past year, a large number of school children have been affected and displaced in Manipur due to ethnic clashes, with about 93% being admitted to the nearest schools free of cost and some of them were provided hostel facility. The ethnic conflict in Manipur has had a significant and devastating impact on the lives of students studying in the region.
The conflict has led to violence, displacement, and fear, which has created a hostile environment for learning and students’ well -being. The conflict has created an atmosphere of fear and anxiety among students. This fear could make it difficult for students to concentrate on their studies, and it could also lead to mental health problems. The conflict has also disrupted education in the state due to prolonged closure of schools, and students’ displacement from their homes. This has made it difficult for students to continue their education, and it has also led to a loss of learning.
The conflict has also caused economic hardship for many families. This has made it difficult for families to afford sending their children to school, and it has also led to a decrease in the quality of education. The ethnic conflict in Manipur has created an environment that is hostile to learning. The conflict has made it difficult for students to achieve their full potential, and it has also had a negative impact on the quality of education in the region.
Unacco Group of school among others who could extend support not only the students of the schools but also students from the region irrespective of the caste, creed and ethnicity to help students who are affected and displaced by the conflict. These include:
Providing psychological support
Teachers were sent in group to most of the children’s home and relief camp to provide mental and psychological support to help them cope with the trauma they have experienced. This support can help them to manage their fear and anxiety, and it can also help them to heal from the emotional scars of the conflict.
Restoring access to education
Due to shut down of internet, even on-line classes were not possible and the whole state was under the grip of curfew. Teachers could stay in the school hostels make study materials, print it and pack in booklet forms which were delivered at the door step of each and every student periodically by the school vans.
Moreover, teachers often visited students’ home to assist them in learning, as we believe that “learning never stop”. Moreover, students those who were displaced have been offered hostel facility on the campus to facilitate their return to normal life. This ensured that students can continue their education and that they have access to the resources they need to learn.
Chairman
Unacco School
Subsidised school fees
Students those who were partially affected by the conflict were offered highly subsidised tuition fees and all other fees were waived off to bring them back to normal school life.
Creating an atmosphere of care and concern
In such scenario, the first thing which the school could do is to create at atmosphere of care and concern so that students and their parents were confident enough to limp back to school life in post violence. The most important of all was how quickly students could adopt to new-normal in post violence scenario and lead a school life devoid of fear, anxiety and trauma.
