JAGATSINGHPUR:More than 50 per cent posts of Block Education Officer (BEO) in the district are vacant. The high school headmasters have been given additional charges affecting the primary education system.There are only three block primary education officers in eight blocks of the district. These officers monitor elementary schools, release salary bills and do other coordinating jobs. Vacancy of BEO posts and work overload on headmasters have affected the district’s primary education.
Sources said the BEO posts are lying vacant in Balikuda, Naugaon, Raghunathpur, Erasama and Tirtol blocks where the high school headmasters are managing the affairs. After retirement of Naugaon BEO Renubala Chaudhry, headmaster of Balikuda High School Ganeswer Sethy is in- charge of post for the last five months. He is also in-charge headmaster of Angeswerpada and Alanahat high schools. Similarly, headmaster of Tarikunda High School Susant Kumar Mohanty is in-charge of Balikuda BEO and headmaster of another high school in Raghunathpur block.
As the School and Mass Education department failed to fill up the vacancies, the district administration was forced to engage high school headmasters as BEOs in the blocks. In the absence of BEOs in five blocks, large-scale irregularities in transfer of teachers, delay in payment of salaries, collection of bribe by unscrupulous people from teachers for sanctioning GPF and arrear dues have been reported.
A high school headmaster, on condition of anonymity, said due to work overload, the headmasters are unable to conduct school supervision regularly, monitor the training and other Government-sponsored programmes.
Locals alleged that there were large-scale irregularities in transfer of primary school teachers last month following which irate villagers had locked several schools in Kujang, Balikuda, Tirtol and Naugaon areas. Even implementation of mid-day meal scheme has been affected in different schools due to supply of substandard food stuff, they added.
Meanwhile, leaders of Primary School Teachers’ Association have sought the intervention of the higher authorities, including the Director of School and Mass Education, in the matter and take action against the errant employees. Recently, the Director had asked the District Education Officer (DEO) to conduct a probe into the irregularities in Jagatsinghpur BEO office.
District Education Officer Kapilendra Mishra said steps are being taken to resolve the issues of primary school teachers.