Parents of students from Adi Dravidar Welfare Elementary School in Kamarajar Nagar near Alangayam in Tirupathur district in Tamil Nadu staged a protest outside school premises on October 16 against the shortage of classrooms and teachers.
The elementary school (Class I-V) has a total student population of 81. In contrast, the school has only two teachers on duty, one permanent and the other temporary. Moreover, the entire school has only two classrooms, one housing 48 students from Class I-III and the rest (33) from Class IV and V study in the other room, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
Parents, at the protest, charged that the lack of proper classrooms and adequate teachers is negatively impacting the students' early education. Additionally, the one permanent teacher has also been the acting headmaster of the school for the past year, going through immense work pressure overseeing both administrative and teaching duties, they added.
Parents voice out
A parent of a Class IV student at the school, Meera Rajini, said that the school originally had four classrooms and a staff room. However, in October 2022, two classrooms and the staff room were demolished, citing their dilapidated condition. One year down the lane, the students are still awaiting the construction of new classrooms at the site, she said.
“Despite the teachers' best efforts, overcrowding inside both classrooms inevitably leads to the quality of education being compromised. Also, with the absence of a headmaster, we are unable to even address students' issues properly,” she added.
The Adi Dravidar Welfare Officer for the region, Jaikumar told The New Indian Express that the tender for the construction of new classrooms has been approved and work is set to commence this week. Regarding the appointment of a headmaster, he said that a suitable candidate is yet to be found, and the position will be filled within a month.
Further, he mentioned that the school's kitchen is also dilapidated and said they have approached the AD panchayat officer. "As a temporary solution, students from Class VI, V have been relocated to a nearby Adi Dravidar Welfare High School. Meanwhile, students from Class I-III will continue to use the two available classrooms," he added.
