The residents of the remote villages of coastal pockets of Rangani surrounded by a river are facing a lot of problems. While availing proper road communication is still a far cry, they are also not able to find teachers in their schools with over 100 teacher posts lying vacant.
Consequently, the School Managing Committees (SMCs) have appointed local youths with some paltry remuneration to teach the students. For instance, two educated youths of Rangani have volunteered themselves as teachers in lieu of some meager financial benefit from the SMC of the Rangani Primary School as the school has only four regular teachers to teach a large number of students from class I to VII.
“Every time I reach school, my students greet me in a loving way and I forget that I’m not a regular teacher like other four teachers of the school,” said Subodha Patra (30), a volunteer, whose educational qualification is BA.
He teaches more than 50 students of primary level at the school and this is his seventh year of volunteering to provide education to the school students. “The SMC members requested me to teach the students due to shortage of teachers and told me to provide a remuneration of `2,000 by collecting money from the guardians. As my son was studying in the school, I agreed and came to the school as a volunteer,” said Subodha.
Similarly, Gautam Kumar Parida also rejoices teaching the village students in the school. “The school needs at least six teachers but the authority appointed only four teachers to teach more than 200 students for which the SMC requested the duo to teach the students,” said locals.
Similarly, in Vekta Primary School, an old man and a woman have been providing teaching along with a lone regular teacher. In Garta, Keruanpala and Chanrakola schools under sea side Rangani and Talachua gram panchayats local youths too have been roped in to teach the students.
When contacted, Block Education Officer (BEO) of Rajnagar , Harekrushna Nayak stated that more than 100 posts of teachers are vacant under Rajnagar blocks. This is the reason why the SMCs have engaged local youths, he said, adding, “I have urged the District Education Officer and the district Collector to fill the vacant teacher posts soon.”