Deprived Schools: One teacher handles seven subjects at govt high school

SUBHAKANTA NAYAK, OP

Hatadihi: A government-aided high school in Kendujhar district is functioning with a single teacher, who is teaching seven subjects, handling administrative duties and also conducting physical education classes amid an acute shortage of teachers. The Shalania High School in Hatadihi block, established in 1984, has 45 students — 24 in Class IX and 21 in Class X. It had two teachers, but the only female teacher has been on maternity leave since June, leaving Odia teacher Gautam Dhurua to manage the school for three months. Besides Odia, Dhurua teach es mathematics, English, Sanskrit, Hindi, general science and social science.

In the absence of a headmaster, clerk and physical education teacher, he also handles administrative work and takes physical education classes. School management committee president Kailash Kuanr said no alternative teacher had been provided despite the vacancy continuing for three months. With the Class X examinations approaching, he questioned how students would prepare properly with only one teacher. Parents Sanjay Nayak, Di bakar Barik, Sarat Behera, Banamali Jena and Pratima Kuanr said they had chosen the school because they could not afford private education, but were worried about their children’s future due to the teacher shortage. The school also lacks a playground and a rear boundary wall, allowing cattle and stray dogs to enter the campus. An open water tank has raised safe ty concerns. The school received `50 lakh under the 5T initiative in 2022 for beautification and Rs 32 lakh from the Kendujhar District Mineral Foundation in 2023 for a science laboratory and li brary.

Though a two-storey building was completed three years ago, the facilities remain non-functional. The laboratory lacks equipment, and the library has no textbooks. Former headmaster Kodan dadhar Mohanty and former Shalania Panchayat Samiti member Birendra Biswal said the building remained unused and several beautification works were incomplete. Contractor Ranjan Mahapatra said the two-storey building had been completed three years ago with the Rs 32 lakh allocation. Dhurua said he was doing his best but could not adequately manage all subjects and responsibilities alone. District Education Officer Purnachandra Bariha said there was no provision for a new government teacher as the school was government-aided. However, a guest teacher would be appointed soon. He said he could not comment on why the laboratory and library remained non-functional.