Students of Dabat’s Government High School in the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh are up in arms against the Department of Education for not fulfilling their demand of improving their school’s facilities despite public announcements made by the Chief Minister. The girl students, who have been protesting for a long while, were sitting on a hunger strike outside the school gate. On Wednesday, they locked the school gates and did not allow anybody to enter the premises.
After persuasion and assurances by the Deputy Director of Education, the girls agreed to sit for classes on Thursday. The Chief Minister, who has been announcing the upgradation of a number of schools in the election year, had also announced the elevation of this school to 10+2 level sometime back. Whereas most beneficiaries of the announced upgradation have preferred to remain silent and were satisfied by the logic of “no budget” with the government, the girls of the Dabat school chose to question the authorities and protest instead.
There are 118 students and just five teachers in the Dabat High School up to Class X. The 10+2 Senior Secondary School at Majri is about 6 km away via thick forests, a route that is unsafe for girls to take.
