Kosal Discussion and Development Forum

School education of Balangir district at the crossroads

September 11, 2010 at 8:19 pm sanjibkarmee 1 comment

Following report is from expressbuzz.com:

BALANGIR: Even as the district receives Rs 50 crore aid from the Central Government for development of education every year, there are 2,500 teacher posts lying vacant here.

The state of school education here has come to such a pass that many upper primary schools have one teacher for seven classes. The worst-hit are Gudvela and Deogaon blocks.

Resenting the government apathy towards education in 34 schools under Gudvela block of Balangir district, villagers of three panchayats along with the students had already staged several agitations in the last two years.

However, precious little has been done so far to address the problems.

Helpless, District Project Coordinator (DPC) Abhimanyu Behera said he was not the authority to recruit teachers. “We cannot do much except make temporary arrangements,” said the DPC.

In these areas, the DPC appointed local youths as education volunteers to impart education to children with a stipend of Rs 500 a month.

But these youths gradually lost interest due to paltry pay.

Behera said in Gudvela block, even regular government teachers do not attend the school because of the river Rahul which separates 32 villages from the mainstream causing communication problem.

Sources said owing to the river, education of 1,600 students is being affected. There are only seven regular teachers for 34 primary schools here.

The situation in Deogaon block is not any better. Here many schools have been functioning without teachers and school buildings.

Schools in Khairguda, Luhakhan, Matupali and Ghatul are also a picture of neglect.

Laxman Meher, vice-president of District Congress Committee (DCC), said that the district is at present, reeling under acute staff shortage and no official is sensitive to this problem. “While the district currently requires 8,730 teachers, it has only 6,228 teachers including sikshya sahayaks, gana sikshaks and regular ones for 2,245 schools in the district,” said Meher.

Entry filed under: Balangir, Primary and Secondary Education, Region watch, State govt. schools.