BHADRAK: Even as the Sarva Sikhya Abhiyan (SSA) and the Right to Education (RTE) Act are in force, education at the grassroots here awaits attention. Education has been hampered due to dearth of teachers in 272 upgraded primary schools, elevated to Class VIII. No fresh appointments were made in these schools for the last two years.Sources said of the 1,239 primary schools in the district, 101 were elevated to Class-VIII this year and 171 schools in the year before. But there has been no change in the scenario in the appointment of qualified teachers. Though the SSA officials have surveyed other schools in Bhadrak, Bont, Basudevpur, Dhamnagar, Tihidi, Chandabali and Bhandaripokhari blocks and submitted their reports on the feasibility to elevate the schools, dearth of teachers has become a major roadblock. Locals said teacher training camps, symposium, free supply of uniforms and books to the students and mid-day meal scheme are being organised in the schools regularly, but the prime requirement of teachers has been ignored. Not only general teachers, there is also dearth of qualified teachers in many schools in the coastal district. A retired teacher Pravakar Panda said after the schools were elevated to Class-VIII, teachers qualified with PCM (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) and CBZ (Chemistry, Botany and Zoology) should be appointed in these schools. “Not a single school has been provided with a qualified teacher. Only elevation cannot solve the rural education scenario, the schools should also be well equipped,” he pointed out. Similarly the people have lamented the Government’s negligence in appointing Hindi and Sanskrit teachers in these schools. The authorities, however, said they had appointed 782 Siksha Sahayaks and filled up vacancies in 72 single teacher schools. District Project Coordinator (DPC) of SSA Sarat Biswal said the district still required around 400 more teachers. “We have intimated the Government about the scenario and hope the situation will change soon,” he added.
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