School runs with out teacher, students protested blocking the road

 While the mass education department of the state is busy in regulating dress code for teachers, people express concern about the diminishing standard of education in government-run schools in the state, especially in interior pockets where several school runs without teachers.

The incident that took place in Lulunga village of Debagad district on Saturday has expressed the precarious condition of mass education department. Students here locked the high school and moved to highway protesting against the injustice of the department. They blocked the NH 200 for more than 7 hours demanding an immediate appointment of teachers. The students called off their protest following the assurance of the officials of the mass education department that their problem will be taken care of.

“It is a shier negligence of government towards the high school. Though it was established 3 years back, the school runs without a teacher. We do not want to spoil our future. So we have decided to take up the issue in order to highlight the injustice," one of the students, who was also a part of protest, said.

Villagers said, the education of high school that has more than 130 students in standard IIIV, IX and X standards is disturbed because of non-appointment of teachers. Blaming government for the prevailing problem, the locals allege that the school does not have regular study hours. They said that teachers of the UGME School located nearby come to teach the students when they get time.

“We realized the worsening condition of school when only 4 students became successful in HSC examination out on 34 that appeared the examination this year. We took several attempts to convince mass education officials; they were never serious. So we came to highway with these students to protest," the village sarapanch Manoj Ranjan Dalai who was present with the students said.

The District Inspector of school (Debagad) Santosh Roul, however, visited the spot in the afternoon to discuss the issue with students and guardians. He assured to take step for the posting teachers in the school within a week and requested the villagers to call off the agitation. “More or less this situation is same in whole district. Due to shortage of teacher we are unable to fill up the vacancies. However, I have assured to take step to appoint a teacher in the school immediately," Roul said.