BALANGIR: Protesting lack of teachers, villagers of Suanbahal in Belpara block of the district locked the Upper Primary School here.
There is a lone teacher for the 115 students studying from Class I to VII.
Villagers alleged that a lady teacher, Jhuni Nial, had joined the school on December 22, last year but was never seen again. Even the headmaster of the school was unaware of her whereabouts, they added.
Block Resource Centre Coordinator Nimain Meher, however, said he was not told about the absence of the lady teacher. Declining further comment on the issue, he said there are more than 25 single-teacher schools in the block. The villagers said the school would remain closed till teachers are posted.
The DI of Schools, Sushanta Kumar Chopdar, said he would visit the school soon and resolve the issue.
Meanwhile, District Project Co-ordinator Kabindra Kumar Sahu admitted that lack of required number of teachers was hampering studies in schools.