BARIPADA: Headmasters and headmistresses of government-run Ashram schools across Mayurbhanj on Sunday threatened to resign from hostel management duties if no action was taken against the additional district welfare officer (ADWO).
During a meeting held at Baripada, members of Nikhil Utkal Kalyan Shikshaka and Siksha Nirikshaka Sangha accused ADWO Ajay Jena of misbehaving with headmasters and headmistresses during an official interaction after the recent death of a Class V student of an Ashram school in Rasgovindpur allegedly due to food poisoning.
General secretary Deepak Kumar Sethy said participants of the meeting strongly condemned the alleged abusive and casteist remarks made by Jena. He said it has been decided to take out a protest rally from the district welfare office to the collectorate where headmasters and headmistresses of Ashram schools would submit mass resignation letters, demanding strict action against the ADWO.
On the other hand, ADWO Jena refuted the allegations, claiming that he was being targeted for opposing irregularities in schools. He claimed TGT teachers, instead of teaching Mathematics and Science to students of Classes VIII to X, are more focused on planning how to take over the responsibilities of headmasters in Ashram schools. “False and fabricated allegations are being levelled against me after I exposed such issues,” Jena added.