Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has decided to set up 35 model primary schools across Darjeeling in a bid to shore up government-aided education.

“We will improve the infrastructure of 10 primary schools each in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong and of five in Mirik,” said Anit Thapa, chief executive, GTA.

There are more than 770- odd primary schools across the hills but even Thapa admitted that these institutions are not faring well.

“I know of a primary school in Kurseong where there are no students; the teachers have locked up the school but they are getting their salaries,” said Thapa and directed education officers to check on this school and see whether its teachers can be accommodated in other schools.

The head of the GTA also said there were primary schools where there were fewer students than teachers.

“It is a common perception that people do not have faith in the government-aided primary schools, even teachers of these schools send their wards to private institutions,” said Thapa adding that the perception has to be changed through sincere work.

The GTA also formed two “high-powered” committees to look into the overall aspect of the institution and come up with suggestions to improve the sector.

Thapa, who said that he had to sit for his Class X board exams during the 40-day strike called by the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) in 1986, added the standard of primary education had worsened since then.

Thapa’s focus on education comes at a time when voices are being raised on the need to probe hiring of teachers in hill schools during the past decade in government schools.

Nearly 600 teachers have been recruited since 2011 but there are allegations that many are under-qualified or got entry through nepotism.

In fact, the GTA has admitted in writing the illegalities in teacher appointments. A notice of GTA issued on June 25, 2018 (Memo No. 302 (899)/ GTA-EDCN/2017-18) stated that some voluntary teachers were engaged without “requisite qualifications” or were “whimsically” engaged.

The concept of voluntary teachers is unique in hill schools. Since the School Service Commission (SSC) is defunct since 2003, many schools engage voluntary teachers purportedly against vacant posts.

The system came into place from the days of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), formed in 1988 and superseded by the GTA in 2012.