PARADIP: Irked over shortage of teachers, students of Government Upper Primary School at Biswali in Kujang block staged a dharna and locked the institution’s main gate on Thursday.
Sources said, studies at the school, which has classes from I to VII have been hampered for the last six months due to shortage of teachers. The school has 275 students on its rolls and only five teachers including the headmistress who does not take classes.
This apart, students of classes I to III are made to sit in one room. Similarly, students of classes IV and V study in a single classroom. Sarpanch of Biswali gram panchayat Manorama Malla said studies at the school have been severely hampered due to shortage of teachers. “I had apprised the district education officer and block education officer of the matter but in vain,” she said.
The school’s headmistress Sanjukta Tarai said three more teachers are required to be posted at the school. “I had urged the higher authorities to look into the matter but nothing has yet been done in this regard,” she said.
In-charge block education officer of Kujang Bimala Sethy said the agitating students called off their dharna after they were assured that their demands will be fulfilled soon.