Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal

Bantwal, Jun 5: The parents of students studying in Talemogaru Higher Primary School in Kurnad gram panchayat limits, which comes under Bantwal taluk, staged a protest along with the locals here on Wednesday June 4, urging the authorities to appoint teachers to the school.

Talemogaru school has 58 students and only one teacher has been teaching here. The school reopened six days ago, but no teachers have been appointed yet. The protestors demanded that more teachers be appointed at the school on a permanent basis.

Though the school has all the basic facilities, the teachers were appointed last year on probation and have worked only for a very short term.

Addressing the protesters, Kurnad gram panchayth member Zubair said, "When we complain about this problem to the Bantwal educational officer, he asks us to close the school and shift the students to a school which is in about 2.5 kilometers away. We will not allow this school to be shut down at any cost."

Speaking on the occasion, Mohammed said, "We started this school nearly 25 years back in a rented building by collecting funds from the locals. After four years of its existence, with the help of philanthropists, we bought 30 cents land and constructed a new building."

SDMC president Ashraf added, "The officers have asked us to shift the students of sixth and eighth standards to Kotekani school, but we are not ready to do that as the way to the school poses danger; earlier two students had drowned after falling into a pond."

Speaking to the media, the faculty Kurnad gram panchayat president Devdas Bhandary a memorandum has been submitted to DDPI to appoint teachers for the school.

The protestors demanded officials from the education department to come to the spot, following which a lady official arrived. She informed that a teacher had been appointed for the school on deputation the same day.

The Bantwal police arranged security at the spot.