Around 400 students of Classes 9 to 12 at Swami Atmanand English Medium School in Pendrawan, Durg district, staged a road blockade for nearly 12 hours over a shortage of teachers. The protest, which began on Tuesday afternoon on the Khairagarh-Dhamdha main road, continued until around midnight before the students agreed to withdraw it following assurances from the administration and a phone conversation with School Education Minister Gajendra Yadav.
The students were demanding adequate teaching staff at the school, claiming that only three teachers and a principal were available for around 400 students. According to the students, the school needs at least 17 teachers, particularly for Arts and Commerce, to ensure regular classes and timely completion of the syllabus.
Students Demand More Teachers
The students said the shortage has affected classroom teaching and examination preparation. They argued that with so few teachers available, completing the syllabus on time has become difficult.
The protest was not the first such demonstration. Students had also staged a protest and road blockade on August 21 over the same issue. Following discussions with officials, they expected teachers to be arranged soon. However, with their main demand still unresolved by August 25, the students returned to the road.
Officials Reach Protest Site
Several officials, including the SDOP, tehsildar, SDM and an assistant director from the School Education Department, reached the spot and attempted to persuade the students to end the blockade.
The students, however, remained firm and demanded intervention at a higher level. They wanted to meet either the collector or the education minister and insisted that the teacher shortage be addressed.
The prolonged protest also led to arrangements being made for food for the students during the demonstration.
Four Teachers Arranged
Following discussions and assurances, the authorities arranged four additional teachers for the school. With the new appointments, the school is expected to have a total of seven teachers.
The department also assured the students that arrangements would be made for a Commerce teacher soon, as the shortage of teachers in the subject was among their major concerns.
However, this falls short of the students' demand for 17 teachers.
Principal Removed, New One Appointed
The administration also agreed to remove the existing principal and appoint a new principal at the school.
Another decision taken after the students' protest was to discontinue the open-school arrangement operating at the institution from the next academic session.
The measures were presented to the students during discussions as part of the effort to address their concerns and restore regular academic functioning.
Protest Ends Around Midnight
The students eventually ended the road blockade at around midnight after speaking to Education Minister Gajendra Yadav over the phone and receiving assurances regarding their demands.
The protest had lasted for nearly 12 hours, with the students maintaining that they did not want to remain on the road but were compelled to protest because of concerns over their education.
The incident has again brought attention to teacher shortages in government schools in the Durg region. Pendrawan falls in the Dhamdha area of Durg district, where students have previously raised concerns regarding staffing and academic facilities.
