News and pics: Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)
Kundapur, Jul 30: Villagers opposing the transfer of additional teacher in government higher primary school in Movadi locked the school and protested in the school premises on July 29.
The school has 108 students with classes till the 8th standard. There are 6 teachers. The students, parents and SDMC villagers protested in front of the school condemning the transfer of teacher Sharavathi Acharya and demanded the teacher be reinstated.
Former Zilla panchayat member Ananatha Movadi speaking on the occasion, said that the school is providing quality education and the transfer of teacher this year when English medium classes have started in 6th standard is unscientific. “The position of the math teacher will remain vacant with the teacher's departure and it will be difficult to fill it. Therefore the transfer should be cancelled,” he said.
SDMC president Shekar Ganiga said that teacher Sharavathi is pregnant and is transferred to a distant school. “If she is transferred, the scarcity of teachers will adversely affect the quality of education in the school. Therefore, the transfer should be held back.”
Byndoor education official Nagesh Nayak, receiving the appeal, said that the teacher is transferred as the number of students is less. “The transfer is already effected. The government will be requested
for its cancellation,” he said.
Grama panchayat member Vijaya Poojary, Geetha D'Souza, Rathnavathi, SDMC vice president Sandhya Karanth and others were present. The school was locked and the classes were boycotted after the protests.
Parents threaten to obtain mass TCs for children
Though widespread protests are being held in Kundapur opposing the transfer of teachers, the lack of action by the concerned department senior officials or government representatives has anguished the
parents of the children. It has proved that there is no change in the stand of education officials despite the protests.
All the cluster resource persons kept coming to the schools holding copies of transfer orders. They looked determined to transfer the teachers. That angered the school development in-charge committee and the parents.
Government Model Higher Primary School under Kundapur area education officer is also facing similar problems. The protesters have decided not to send their children to the school if the concerned officials do not take a clear stand.
Bidkalkatte Higher Primary School had started English medium two years ago and the number of children increased every year. There are orders for transfer of two teachers from there. Though there was assurance that guest teachers will be provided instead of the transferred teachers, the protesters asked what the reason was for the transfer.
SDMC and parents locked the school on Friday morning expressing their anguish. Children were made to sit outside the whole day. As no official arrived, the protesters are all the more annoyed. If the department officials do not change their stand, the protesters have threatened to start ‘T C campaign’, obtaining TCs from Monday August 1.
School development committee president Shantarama, Grama panchayat president Udaya Kulal, Zilla panchayat member Supritha Kulal, local leader Manoj Shetty and others led the protests.