Villagers lock school over staff crunch

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Nabha, July 18 

Irked over the lackadaisical approach of the Education Department for filling vacant posts of teachers, residents of Chhintawal village in Nabha on Wednesday locked the main gate of Government Senior Secondary School.

The protesting residents said eight posts of teachers and a peon were lying vacant for the past many months. The protestors said they had brought the matter to the notice of Education Secretary Krishan Kumar, ex-education minister Aruna Chaudhar, Education Minister OP Soni and Cabinet Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot but nothing has been done so far. 

The residents further alleged that fake entries were being made in the attendance register by teachers. They said they have decided to appoint a person from the village to visit the school and click a photo of attendance register everyday as the higher authorities are too busy to perform their duty.

Sarpanch Angrez Singh said there were two posts of mathematics teacher, but only one teacher had been provided for the subject against the total strength of 400 students. He said the protestors returned to their houses after the school hours and warned that they would keep the school locked until their demands were met. 

One of the residents of the village, Hakam Singh, said despite tall claims of the state government to promote Punjabi, there was no lecturer for the language. He also revealed same was the case with history. He further said posts of sports teacher, arts and craft were also lying vacant. 

Harpreet Kaur, a student, said students were facing problems in their studies due to shortage of teachers. She said about 50 students have already left the school and taken admission in a private schools. She said if the negligent approach of the authorities concerned continued more students would be forced to take admission in the private schools. 

Bahadur Singh, principal of the school, while confirming the shortage of teachers said, students were suffering and their results would be affected. He said they were regularly informing the higher authorities about the vacant posts in the school. 

Deputy District Education Officer Sanjeev Bansal said the filling vacant posts of teachers were already under process which could take some time. 

On the fake entry on the attendance register by teachers, he said, the matter was not in his knowledge and he would investigate the matter. Despite repeated requests by him to end the protest the villagers refused to unlock the school.