Beed, Maharashtra (PTI): An agitation by students of a high school in Parli in Maharashtra's Beed district earlier this month led to senior advocate and activist Prashant Bhushan taking to social media on Friday to highlight the issues plaguing the education system.
Students of Vaidyanath Vidyalaya had protested on July 16-17 claiming lack of teachers for several subjects, including maths, leading to large parts of the syllabus remaining uncovered.
Bhushan posted a video of this agitation on X and said students across the country have launched a movement.
Their demands are that government schools should have teachers, fans and toilets, he said.
The same slogan is echoing everywhere: 'We demand our rights, we do not beg from anyone', Bhushan added.
An SSC student who had protested at the school said the syllabus has to be covered in the remaining six months, though one month has passed without teachers, and another month will be taken up by festivals and resulting holidays.
"We have approached the school administration multiple times but our demands remain unmet. How will the syllabus be completed in four months? If we don't have teachers for subjects like mathematics, what are we going to write in the examination," she questioned while interacting with reporters.
Several students of the school come from financially weak backgrounds and cannot afford private tuitions, she added.
''I stay in Parli. Many people advised me to shift my child to neighbouring Ambajogai. My daughter joined the school this year and there has been no teaching here for 45 days. The administration should act and resolve the issue," parent Anjali Argade told reporters.
There is no headmaster in the school and only ten out of sixteen teachers are present, an official admitted.
"The teachers have not been paid salaries for nine months. So some teachers don't come to the school. Therefore, managing the syllabus has become tough," the official said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Education Officer Dhananjay Shinde told reporters that he had reviewed the situation at the school.
"We have heard the students' problems, and I have visited the school personally. I heard there is lag in syllabus coverage. We will devise a plan for extra classes with the existing staff and find a solution. We are there for the students and we will cover the syllabus," Shinde said.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
