The locals and parents of children have urged the education department of Karnataka to appoint full-time teachers to government higher primary school in a remote village of Keyyur in Puttur of Dakshina Kannada which has only one full-time teacher at present, stated a report in The New Indian Express.
Due to an acute shortage of teachers, 16 students were shifted to a nearby government school in Thingaladi which is 2.5 km away.
The school has 42 children from Classes I to VII and the lone permanent teacher Rashmitha BK is forced to teach all subjects while a guest teacher from the village is helping with work.
Waiting for teachers
Teggu ward member of Keyyur gram panchayat, Abdul Khader Merla, said that poor children from this remote village are denied quality education and three full-time teachers posts sanctioned for the school are still vacant.
"If this continues, the school might shut down. It is very difficult to pay the salaries of guest teachers as people here hail from poor economic backgrounds. We will meet Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai and request to appoint permanent teachers," he said.
Ordeals of the lone teacher
Rashmitha, the lone teacher in the school, expressed her helplessness and pressure she undertakes to take classes for children apart from other administrative work to look into. She takes eight classes a day and the guest teacher takes classes for children from Class I to III.
Rashmitha makes the students from Classes IV to VII sit in one class and teach different subjects one after the other, at a time. There was another permanent teacher till May 31 this year and he retired.
The department deputed another teacher but she was transferred within seven days to another school. "I am also made the in-charge headmistress. I need to manage the admissions and other administrative work, Akshara Dasoha, as well. The parents are complaining that they will shift their children to other schools as the quality of education is affected here. Already 16 students have been issued transfer certificates as parents are unsatisfied over teachers' shortage. Even children also feel bored sitting in one class and attending classes. They also look for change. Younger children need a lot of care and leaving them on the campus on their own is also a security issue. Ours is a two-acre campus and it is very difficult to monitor every student by myself," said Rashmitha.
Puttur Block Education Officer C Lokesh told The New Indian Express that the transfer process of primary teachers is underway and full-time teachers may be appointed within 15 days, if not, they will appoint guest teachers as per requirement.
