Teacher crunch: Villagers lock school

Times of India, Sept 24, 2013
Bikash Khemka, TNN Sep 24, 2013, 01.03AM IST

BHAWANIPATNA: Locals on Monday locked the main gate of Phaktamaal Upper Primary School, about 15 km from here, demanding more teachers for smooth conduct of classes. The students also sat on a dharna holding placards with slogans hinting at the skewed student-teacher ratio in the school.

Currently four teachers are posted in the school, which has 394 students on its roll. "Considering the students' strength, there should be at least 12 teachers. The situation would somehow improve if six teachers are posted immediately," said headmaster Jagannath Tripathy.

The school management committee also expressed displeasure over teacher shortage. "We were compelled to lock the school as the authorities concerned did not heed our demand," said president of the committee Malay Kumar Barik. The school would remain closed till the appointment of the required teachers, he added.

Inspector of schools, Kesinga block, Bansidhar Bag rushed to the school and assured the agitators that more teachers would be posted shortly. But they stuck to their demand and continued the stir.

"More teachers would soon be posted in the school," reiterated district project coordinator Kailash Sahu.