Girl students, their parents hold dharna against absence of teachers

Girl students, their parents hold dharna against absence of teachers

B.D.Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, Aug 27

All 55 students of Government Girls Inter College (GGIC) Namjala in Munsiyari sub- division of Pithoragarh district along with their guardians and local social activists sat  on a protest dharna today in front of the office of Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM),  Munsiyari, against absence of teachers in their college.

The students and their wards demanded appointment of teachers as due to lack of teachers in their college, the students are returning home daily without being taught anything.

“The teaching work of intermediate classes is badly affected due to lack of teachers in this interior region as against 17 teachers at intermediate level only 5 teachers are teaching in college,” said Yogesh Bhakuni, Block Development Committee (BDC) member of Darati village of Munsiyari block.

According to Bhakuni, out of 80 teachers transferred by administration last year, only 5 teachers were sent to the sub division school.”It is from past some years that the school is facing shortage of teaching staff and had not seen full strength of teachers specially the science teachers without which the students cannot pass the board examination,” said Bhakuni.

The students had given a memorandum to Pithoragarh District Magistrate on August 24 this year informing the officer of their protest dharna which was held today.

“I,am also sitting in Dharna with my daughter who is studying in 12th class but returns from college without being taught due to absence of teachers,” said Laxmi Devi, a guardian sitting in dharna with her daughter, today.

The entire family of Duniya Devi, also a guardian also sat on dharna today as her 10th class student daughter has no teachers to teach her.”How our poor children will be educated if we were behaved like this by education department. It was cruel joke that the state education minister was boasting about his achievements in the recently concluded state assembly session,” said Sunita Devi.

According to the information given by Block Education Officer (BEO), Munsiyari, against the 20 LT grade and 27 lecturers transferred from Munsiyari this year, only  4 LT grade teachers joined the schools of sub-division in exchange. “Even today we require 80 teachers in primary schools and  24 in higher secondary schools,” said an official from BEO office.