Bhubaneswar/Rourkela/Balasore: Even as the primary teachers’ strike across Odisha entered the fifth day on Friday paralysing the functioning of over 50,000 primary schools in the state, mid-day meal cooks and former students were seen taking classes in a school in Rourkela. On the other hand, a few teachers were seen taking classes in some schools.
Shakuntala Sundori, a mid-day meal cook at the government primary school at Chendo Basti in Rourkela, has been taking classes since the four primary teachers there went on a mass leave on September 11. “The students come to school every day, play in their classrooms, and go home after eating their mid-day meal. I felt very bad for them as their academics were being hampered. As I have studied up to Class V, I decided to keep them engaged by teaching them the basic subjects. Now, the students are happy.”
Puja Sahoo, a former student of the same school, said, “When I learned that the students of my former school were missing their classes due to the ongoing teachers’ strike, I decided to volunteer as a teacher. I am taking junior classes every day and the students are happy.”
Pratima Bala Mishra, the headmistress of the government primary school at Chendo Basti in Rourkela, has abstained from joining the teachers’ strike and going to school every day to teach her pupils. “We had a teacher on deputation and after he was transferred, the academic session was in a mess. I did not go and sit on dharna supporting the strike because I did not want the students to miss their classes,” she said.
Similarly, Padmavati Bari, headmistress of Purushottam Upper Primary School at Notapada in the Balasore district of Odisha, too skipped participating in the teachers’ strike for the benefit of her students. Padmavati has been attending school every day and taking regular classes to ensure that students complete their syllabus.
“Our school has only four teachers and three of them are sitting on dharna supporting our demands. I too will go and join them after the school is over,” she said, adding, “This is nothing new for us. Our school has classes up to VIII but only four teachers. We have an acute shortage of teachers. Even on normal days, we do not have enough teachers to attend all eight classes simultaneously.”
Meanwhile, several schools in the state have been closed due to the absence of teachers. While many students remain at home, some others go to school, play, and return home after the mid-day meal.
On the other hand, 1.3 lakh members of the Odisha Primary Teachers Federation have reiterated that they would not withdraw their stir until the government conceded their three-point charter of demands, which include the abolition of contractual appointments, regularisation of services, and salary hikes.
