Latehar (Jharkhand), Apr 13 (PTI) Parents of students, educationists and social rights activists took out a rally in a block in Jharkhand’s Latehar district on Thursday to protest against an arrangement of running government schools by a single teacher, which they termed it as “gross violation” of Right to Education Act (RTE).
Parents and children from 16 villages from the Garu block of the district, around 170 km from the state capital Ranchi, marched from Armu Chowk to the headquarters of the block before holding a meeting.
Belgian-born economist Jean Dreze and other social rights activists, including James Herenj, also participated in the rally.
In Garu block, there are 40 government primary schools and 17 of them are run by single-teacher, one of the agitators claimed.
Besides, two middle schools have single-teacher in the block, he said.
In Jharkhand, 28.2 per cent of primary schools are having single teachers, which is “illegal according to RTE”, he claimed.
Dreze said, “I appreciate the people of Garu for raising the critical issue of teacher shortages in Jharkhand. There is no excuse for allowing around 30 per cent of government primary schools to have a single teacher, in flagrant violation of the law. A terrible injustice is being done to the children of the state.” The director of the Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) Kiran Kumari Pasi could not be reached for her comment on the issue.
The protest march in Garu was convened by Sanyukta Gram Sabha Manch in collaboration with Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti.
The participants also sent an open letter to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, demanding the posting of additional teaching staff in single-teacher schools according to the RTE norms.
During the meeting, parents alleged that teachers in such schools are often found busy with non-teaching activities.
“My children are deprived of quality education as provisioned in RTE,” said a parent on condition of anonymity.
A middle school student Poonam Kumari from Rud village in Garu demanded at least six teachers for multiple subjects.
“Currently, my school has 145 students but we have only one teacher,” she said. PTI SAN BDC BDC
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