VILLUPURAM: Any guess how many students a teacher can manage at a time? We are not talking about handling a class room but an entire school. If the numbers are to be believed, a remote village near Thiruvennainallur has two schools with more than 450 students in total, run by just two teachers.
The matter, still ‘unheard’ of in the corridors of Education department offices in the district, came to light on Wednesday when hundreds of students and their parents staged demonstrations in front of the schools against the apathy of officials.
According to sources, there are two schools, a primary and a higher secondary, located in the remote Arungkurukai village near Thiruvennainallur. More than 450 students including boys and girls depend on these schools and for the last 15 years, only two teachers have been available at these schools.
As the village lacks proper connectivity, the teachers, who get appointed here, immediately seek transfer and move out.
Also, the schools lack basic amenities such as proper drinking water and toilet facilities. Moreover, the classrooms lack adequate space for students.
Irked over the negligence of officials even after repeated representations, the students, along with their parents, staged a protest by boycotting classes.
Thirumalai, a local villager said, “In the absence of teachers, students fail to score good marks in public examinations and the schools have been showing very poor pass percentage for several years.” He lamented that the students are forced to study under trees.
The villagers said that they will start an indefinite protest if the officials failed to fulfill their demands.
When contacted, Villupuram Chief Education Officer (CEO) Angelo Irudhiyaswamy said he was unaware of the issue and assured to look in to the matter.