ROURKELA: The Sundargarh district education office has come under sharp criticism for its decision to engage school teachers in distribution of textbooks at the doorsteps of students during the lockdown period. In an order issued on Tuesday, the education office said books will be distributed at the doorsteps of around 2.07 lakh students of Classes I to VIII in 2,391 Government schools for the 2020-21 academic session. The teachers were assigned the job which, in the current situation, seems to be a herculean task due to restrictions on public transport as well as private vehicles.
The teachers said though they are willing to brave the summer heat, their mobility during the prevailing lockdown is a concern. The most worried are lady teachers who do not have a vehicle of their own.
Requesting anonymity, a teacher of Lathikata block said on normal days, she leaves home early in the morning and after covering 50 km in two buses via Rourkela, reaches her school in the interior pocket of Raiboga panchayat. With bus services no more available, it is impossible for her to distribute books among students.
Like her, hundreds of lady teachers of Government schools residing in far-flung areas are worried with the order of the education office. “This is an ill-thought-out decision which will be impossible to carry out,” they said.Sources said women teachers would find it difficult to reach their respective schools to collect and sort the books. Besides, it would be an arduous task to distribute the books among students who are scattered in remote areas of rural pockets.
General secretary of Sundargarh unit of All Utkal Primary Teachers’ Association Sanjay Samal said the intention behind this decision may be good but the administration should have given a thought about the mobility of teachers. “Around 65-70 per cent of the total 5,000 primary school teachers in the district are women and majority of them are posted at schools located very far from their homes,” he claimed.
Defending the move, district education officer (DEO) Ranjan Giri said books had reached Sundargarh in the first week of March and the administration wants to complete distribution by April 25 to help students to utilise the lockdown period in studies. He said teachers of Kendrikela in Bonai block have started distribution of books from Wednesday.