Barang: Locals including guardians of students Wednesday locked the Panchupal Upper Primary School under Barang block demanding appointment of a teacher in the vacancy created after deputation of a schoolteacher.
Locals as well as students also held a demonstration in front of the school seeking early appointment of a teacher to the school.
Panchupal UP School has altogether 120 students from Class I to Class VIII. The School and Mass Education (S&ME) department had appointed five teachers to the school. However, the department sent one of the teachers of the school on deputation to another school in the block around a month ago.
Protesting the development, the locals had met the block education officer (BEO) who assured them of filling up the vacancy. However, he did not keep his word.
Subsequently, the locals had raised the issue with Banki MLA Devi Ranjan Tripathy. The BEO had told the MLA that a new teacher would be sent to the school within seven days. But precious little has been done in this regard, locals said.
“We locked the school to protest the block authorities’ failure to appoint a teacher. We will send our children to school only when there is adequate number of teachers,” said Ranjit Bisoyi, a guardian.
According to sources, assistant block education officer Bharati Acharya reached the school and tried to pacify the agitators. She promised the locals to fill the vacant teacher’s post within five days. However, the locals refused to accept the promise, sources said.
