Students of Pendravan Government School staged a protest demanding immediate appointment of teachers and removal of the school principal
Durg, Chhattisgarh: Following protests by Gen Z, students belonging to the younger Gen Alpha generation have also taken to the streets to raise their concerns.
A major student protest was witnessed in the Dhamdha development block of Durg district, where students of Pendravan Government School demonstrated over a shortage of teachers and demanded the removal of the school principal.
The students blocked the Dhamdha-Khairagarh main road near Pendravan Chowk for nearly four hours, bringing traffic movement on the route to a standstill.
The roadblock resulted in long queues of vehicles on both sides of the highway, causing significant disruption to traffic.
Officials Reach Protest Site
As information about the protest reached the administration, the Dhamdha SDOP, Tehsildar, Block Education Officer and police personnel arrived at the spot.
Officials attempted to persuade the students to end the roadblock and return to school. However, the initial efforts failed as the students remained firm on their demands.
After nearly four hours, the students agreed to end the protest following assurances from the administration regarding their demands.
Students Raise Concerns Over Teacher Shortage
The protesting students said their school has been facing a shortage of teachers for a long time.
They claimed that the teachers currently available at the school have also been assigned duties related to open examinations, further affecting regular classes.
With the upcoming quarterly examinations approaching, students said they were worried about completing their syllabus and preparing adequately for the exams.
‘Teacher Shortage Has Continued for Four Years’
Aarti, a student, said the school has been facing a shortage of teachers for the past four years.
“There has been a shortage of teachers in the school for the last four years. Our demand has not been given attention, which is why we were forced to come out onto the road.”
Another student, Lakshmi Sinha, said the shortage had affected the completion of the syllabus.
“There has been a shortage of teachers in the school for a long time, and our course has also not been completed.”
Students Demand New Teachers and Principal’s Removal
The students have demanded the immediate appointment of additional teachers at the school.
They have also called for the removal of the current principal, citing concerns related to the functioning of the school.
The students said that if their demands are not addressed and the teacher shortage is not resolved soon, they could launch another protest.
Four-Hour Roadblock Highlights Education Concerns
The four-hour blockade on the Dhamdha-Khairagarh route brought attention to the difficulties faced by students at the government school.
The students’ protest also highlighted concerns over the availability of adequate teaching staff, completion of the syllabus and preparation for upcoming examinations.
Following the administration’s assurance, the students ended the roadblock and traffic movement gradually resumed.
