Chhattisgarh: Get us school teachers, not liquor shops, say protesting students over absence of lecturers, approach collector

RAIPUR:

“Govt can open liquor shops here and there, but can’t arrange teachers for school students? This is injustice and we have the right to study. We don’t want

‘daaru bhatti’

we want teachers,” this call comes from several school students who protested outside Bemetara district collector’s office and have submitted a memorandum demanding teachers at schools. It’s already been more than a week that the new sessions at schools have begun across the state and these students have been attending classes sans teachers at all. Frustrated by the lack or absence of faculty, school students of Swami Atmanand English Medium School, Rathi in Bemetara district of Chhattisgarh approached the district collector’s office demanding immediate action to fill the vacant teaching positions. There are 10 positions for teachers but all are vacant. A student of Class VI said, “Whenever they inquire about the teacher’s appointment, we are asked to study on LED TV till the teachers join. They say, if we don’t want to study, then get the transfer certificate and leave school. Why should we leave school? We don’t want ‘daaru bhatti’ , we want teachers. But the govt is busy opening new premium liquor shops in the town.”

Another girl student of Class 11 said, “We went to collector Sir and he asked us to goto DEO office but when we goto DEO, we were asked to go back to collector. This is atrocious, we are running from pillar to post. We are told that teachers are getting posted everywhere as per the vacancies created, but where are the teachers actually, we can’t find them at school.” Speaking to TOI, District Education Officer Kamal Kapur Banjare admitted that the situation at the said school was serious and that the posts sanctioned are for teachers on deputation. “None of the teachers want to join that school on deputation and there’s no scope for direct appointment. Yet, I spoke to the school principal and am arranging to get a few teachers from other Atmanand schools. Once we get an okay from collector, the teacher would join at the earliest,” the DEO said. Bemetara district Collector Ranbir Sharma told TOI, “Education is of paramount importance and we will get some deputations done so that these vacancies will be filled.”Students expressed dissatisfaction with the collector's response, stating that he did not provide any concrete solution. The students criticized the govt pointing out that there seems to be no plan to ensure adequate teachers’ availability in schools.