Demanding appointment of teachers, the students of Batipada High School in Aul block on Friday staged a dharna in front of the school braving the incessant rains.
Source said the study ambience in the school has been affected due to lack of adequate teachers. Irked over the apathy of the authorities in appointing teachers in the school despite several pleas, the students and the guardians have locked the school for the last eleven days.
According to sources, as many as 235 students are studying from class 8th to 10th in the Batipada High School. The school was earlier running with only four teachers. But recently, the Mass Education department has transferred a few teachers from the school. As a result, only two teachers are now available in the school, who are unable to take all the classes.
As per the guidelines, at least two science teachers, three arts teachers, one Hindi teacher, one Sanskrit teacher and a PET are required to run a school normally of over 200 student strength. Though the villagers had earlier brought the matter before the notice of the District Collector and the District Education Officer and demanded filling of the vacant teacher posts in the school, yet nothing was done by the authorities.When contacted, District Education Officer Markatkeshari Ray informed that contract teachers would be appointed in the school in coming days.