Imphal, Dec. 9: At a time government-run high schools in Manipur are struggling to check student attrition, Andro Assembly constituency in Manipur has shown how to wean away pupils from private schools to government-run ones by improving infrastructure and quality of teaching.

Most students and their parents opt for private schools where the teaching standard and infrastructure are considered superior, yet most of the government schools at Andro in Imphal East district have more students than their capacity.

Government-run Poirou Khongjin High School at present has nearly 800 students - a surprising strength in any government school in Manipur.

In this constituency which has 40 government schools from primary to secondary level and also a number of private schools, a majority of the students are opting for government-run ones, leaving private schools high and dry.

The man behind turning the "impossible to possible" is local Trinamul Congress MLA Thokchom Shyamkumar Singh.

With a keen interest and initiatives taken by Singh, students who had once left government schools are gradually coming back. Officials admitted that Andro is one constituency that is taking the lead role in reviving government schools.

Singh's initiative is unique. For instance, Azad High School was upgraded to a secondary school this year. However, the government is yet to appoint new teachers required for class XI students.

"Our MLA has appointed 15 teachers for class XI science and arts. He is paying them from his own pocket. He takes a keen interest in proper functioning and teaching quality of the schools. His goal is to make government schools number one and private schools number two," principal of the school M. Devendro said.

The legislator, who has been representing Andro for the second consecutive term, is also ensuring that all the funds provided under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhijan are utilised properly. Construction of new school buildings is under way and those already completed look better than private schools. Even the school toilets are cleaner than those located in the state secretariat.

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, a government-run school, which has a sanctioned strength of 105 in classes VI, VII and VIII has currently 129 students.

"We have to admit additional students due to strong pressure from parents and students. The MLA has been bearing expenses of the extra students," the warden and teacher of the school, L. Nandinibala, said.

"As a child I could not get proper education as I could not go to expensive private schools. Likewise many poor children in my constituency are not getting proper education due to poor performance of government schools. I have decided that my priority should be in the government schools," Singh said. The MLA regularly used to go Delhi and got enough funds for schools in his constituency. Singh owns a big sand quarry to fund his "dream project".

The dream project includes producing toppers in classes X and XII examinations.