Durg, August 27: Students from Swami Atmanand English Medium School in Pendrawan, Durg district, staged a protest demanding more teachers, remaining on strike until midnight. Approximately 400 students blocked the Khairagarh-Dhamdha main road on Tuesday afternoon.
The students were protesting against the open school system currently in place and called for its termination. They also demanded the removal of the principal and the hiring of additional teachers.
The students specifically requested 17 teachers, expressing frustration over the lack of instructors in Arts and Commerce subjects. While the education department assured them that a Commerce teacher would be arranged soon, the students refused to end their protest until adequate staffing was confirmed.
Currently, the school has only six teachers for over 600 students, severely impacting regular classes, which has caused ongoing distress among students and parents.
On Friday, students and villagers had warned the education department about their intentions to protest if their demands were not met within three days. With no resolution reached by the deadline, they initiated an indefinite strike.
Following the protest, officials including the SDOP, Tehsildar, and Assistant Director of the School Education Department arrived and agreed to the students’ demands. The administration has decided to abolish the open school system and approved the hiring of four new teachers, bringing the total to seven. Additionally, a new principal has been appointed.
After receiving assurances from School Education Minister Gajendra Yadav via phone, the students ended their protest. They expressed their exhaustion after 12 hours of sitting in protest but felt satisfied that their demands were met.