An empty chair replaced a teacher and garlands were placed around it as schoolchildren and villagers clapped and paid respects.
It was an ironic, rather shameful Teachers’ Day celebration in Kothapalli hamlet of Chagadone village and Chamankhan Doddi hamlet under Mallempalli panchayat of Gattu Mandal in the backward Mahabubnagar district of Telangana. The residents who have been literally begging for regular teachers in the schools decided to put their point across rather sarcastically.
“There are no teachers for the last two months despite submitting representations all the government officials. We thought this was the only way to get our plight noticed,” said Earanna Talari, resident of Chamankhan Doddi, fighting for the cause. The absence of teachers is forcing the 70-odd children to work in the fields rather than attending school. “Parents are forced to take them to fields for work. The danger also lies in the fact that they are losing interest in attending school,” he said.
People in Kothapalli village under Chagadona panchayat also garlanded an empty chair to express their anguish over lack of teachers. “Honouring teachers is a tradition. It’s unfortunate that we had to garland an empty chair,” said Paramesh, a youngster from the village. Both the villages had teachers till a few months back but they were transferred with no replacement. Things improved a bit after the M.V. Foundation posted a volunteer teacher. “But getting a government teacher is our right,” he said.
More than 70 children from this primary school now just roam around or are forced to assist their parents in the agriculture fields. “Some teachers who worked earlier took keen interest and inspired the students, all of them from poor economic and social backgrounds,” said Earanna. “The absence of good teachers is felt with students losing interest in studies.”
In fact, children from these schools, along with few other schools, stirred the conscience of the State writing letters to the Hyderabad High Court about their plight. The Acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhonsale and Justice S.V. Bhatt took the issue seriously and ordered the government to submit a report. In fact, the judges were furious and asked the officials whether they would send their children to such schools.
In fact, lack of teachers was reported in seven villages in Gattu Mandal. The MV Foundation volunteers said that after the High Court directions, officials visited schools that were mentioned by the High Court to appoint vidya volunteers on temporary basis and completely ignored Kothappalli, Chamankhan Doddi and Balgera villages.
