Infighting of teachers: school faces threat of closure

The infighting among the teachers has affected the quality of education at Government Higher Primary School at Gejjegondanahalli and the parents have started admitting their children to other schools. Without children, the school is on the verge of closure.

Out of 14 children, during the academic year, eight students have taken transfer certificates for admission in the neighbouring schools. The remaining seven children have not attended the school since the reopening and their parents too are planning to shift their children to other schools.

Local resident Mahesh said, “The school has three teachers. Unfortunately, owing to personal enmity, the teachers do not look at each others’ faces. They engage in altercation very often and do not take care of the children.”

Rudresh, a parent said, “We are illiterates and we eke out a living by daily wage work. We reach home in the night. We were sending our children to study. Unfortunately, they do not know how to read and write in Kannada. Even a seventh standard student is not aware of multiplication tables. In spite of having three teachers, they do not teach the children.”

Another parent Venkatesh rued, “Children are facing injustice at the hands of the teachers.”

SDMC vice president Radhamma said, “My son is in the third standard. Owing to the attitude of the teachers and failure to teach children, I have admitted my son to a private school in Ajjampura. We are poor. I have to shell out Rs 3,000 for the vehicle to ferry my son to the school in Ajjampura. Teachers and education department officials are responsible for the condition of the school.”

Confirming the lack of coordination among teachers, headmaster Chandramouli said, “The department officials are aware of the lack of coordination among teachers. Eight children from the school have been admitted to another school. The remaining kids have not come back to the school.”

Villagers have urged the BEO and DDPI to transfer the teachers and deploy other teachers to the school to ensure that school does not close down.