In a bid to escape accountability, a section of primary teachers of Jharkhand have begun the strike to distance themselves from the Mid-day Meal (MDM) scheme and have decided not to extend cooperation to the Government in future.
Teachers under the banner of All Jharkhand Primary Teachers Association (AJPTA) are determined not to replenish stocks with grains and other edible materials once it goes dry.The benign scheme for the underprivileged children has become a point of worry for the teachers who constantly live under the threat of actions if anything goes wrong with the food served under the MDM.
“We will not be responsible for any mishap that happens henceforth,” said the General Secretary AJPTA Ram Murty Thakur adding “however will not do anything which goes against the interest of a child.” Even though the teachers have conveyed their stance on their role in the MDM and exerted pressure on the government to set teachers free from any accountability that the scheme demands the Human Resource Development department officials do not seem to be in a mood let the teachers go off the hook.
“Whatever happens within a school premises is the responsibility of the school authorities and it applies to MDM also,” said a senior HRD official requesting anonymity. Interestingly, the association is as belligerent on removing accountability as the department is intransigent on not rolling it back until a consensus is arrived on fixing the accountability.
“If any action is taken against us on the pretext of accountability resting with teachers then we will intensify the stir,” added Thakur. Significantly, the department has assured that they will try to address the association’s demand in a more constructive manner and keeping in view the interest of all parties concerned.
“Soon we will organize a workshop to evolve a mechanism to fix accountability. We will invite teacher’s association, representatives of Saraswati Vahini and officials of HRD in the discourse on MDM,” added the official. Amid the desperation to set free from accountability to run the scheme, the MDM certainly faces the important question as to who will be responsible for the scheme which is running in 26,318 primary schools, 264 upper primary schools and 13,889 primary with upper primary schools besides as many as 159 National Child labour Project schools across the State.
“Today we are more concerned about the actions that will be taken for any mishap in the MDM. Shift in focus has led to deterioration in the quality of education,” said a S. lal, in-charge of government primary school in Ranchi. Meanwhile, according to a government estimate around 27, 35,874 children were benefited due the scheme in the State.