Kasturba school girls protest shortage of teachers, basic amenities; march towards Ranchi to meet DC
PATNA: Nearly 100 girls from Kasturba Residential Girls School were seen running on the road with placards in their hands demanding more teachers and basic amenities in the school late in the evening on Saturday. According to locals, the girls said that their education is being hindered due to lack of
teacher in the school, moreover they are not being provided even the basic amenities like drinking water and proper food in the school and when they complain, they are kept standing in the sun for over hours.
According to locals, many of them were crying and holding placards saying fulfil our demands and were shouting – Ranchi Chalo. When asked, they told people that they were going to meet the Deputy Commissioner and tell him about their sufferings.
“Our primary demand is that our classes should be conducted properly and regularly in all subjects as we also have the right to study well and excel in future. Here in our school, we are taught only Math and English as there is no Science teacher in the school,” said Pushpa Oraon. a class 10 student.
Presently there are only two teachers of Math and English in the school, she added. Another agitating girl said that they are neither given uniforms nor shoes or any other materials that are provided free in government schools.
“We don’t know, whether we will be served breakfast or not, and if yes, then at what time as there is no timetable in the school. Menu is never followed and if we raise our voice, we are punished. Many of the class 10 students were kept in sunlight for over four hours after they complained about the mismanagement in the school,” said another girl requesting anonymity.
Moreover, they are not given stipend despite the fact that they were made to fill up the forms regularly, she added. Another class 10 girl informed that they had made up their mind to march to Ranchi and meet the Deputy Commissioner so that they could tell him about their sufferings.
“We have come here to make our future…who will teach us if there are no teachers in the school...What is the use of being here if we are not taught properly,” said the girl. They have come out of the school without informing the warden or anybody as they would not have allowed them to come out at least for marching to Ranchi, she added.
She further added that she want the Deputy Commissioner to visit the school and see the rampant mismanagement in the school. Later, the police were informed and rushed to the spot and convinced them that their matter would be sorted out shortly and made them sit in the police station.
Block Development Officer (BDO) was called in who also pacified them by giving an assurance to look into the matter personally. “It is really unfortunate that the girls had to march on the road to press their
demands, but we have called a meeting at 11 am on Monday with the parents, teachers, students and school management committee in the school premise itself so that the matter could be sorted out then and there,” said BDO Suleman Mundari.
The Girls have complained that the school lack teachers and basic amenities and hence 55 girls marched on the highway to meet the DC on Saturday, he added.
Notably, these students had also staged dharna on NH-33 in the Bundu for around one-and-a-half hours on August 10 alleging lack of drinking water and less number of teachers in the school.
In April also around 100 parents and students in Latehar demonstrated against single-teacher schools and demanded teacher postings as per the Right to Education (RTE) Act.