Khirendra who hails from the strife-ridden ‘red corridor’ region of Bastar is an eccentric renaissance man. He is sculptor, a painter, a street theater artiste and an ex- football player for his district. He is a long distance runner by passion and claims impressive distances and impressive speeds. He is a dalit. The oppression that he experienced and witnessed while…
60 students across 4 classrooms in a single school with only 1 appointed teacher.
At around half past seven in the morning, the children gather in the four classes at Katagaon Village Government Primary School in Chhattisgarh. They enter the class and the teacher's chair sits empty. An hour passes. Then two, three... Some days, the teacher won't make an appearance for the whole day. The children say that they make attempts to study on their own but it doesn't last to long. A precarious discipline gives away. A classroom full of children erupts into chaos.
The sole teacher arrives at the same time as her students. A long hard day lies ahead of her. Too much to do, too little time. It's impossible but she'll do the best she can. She has classes 1 to 8 to teach. She teaches a separate class every hour of the day. When she's teaching one class, the other seven are going crazy, playing, making noise. But there's nothing she can do about it. She has to make sure that the mid-day meals are prepared. She has to set the question papers. Run basic administration duties. She's got it down to a routine. She's been doing it for the past four years.
Call to Action: Khirendra Yadav, IndiaUnheard Community Correspondent from the District, brings an appeal to you by the families of the students, the students and the teacher of the School.
"Please call the Block Education Officer on +918305505275 and demand that he immediately look into the mismanagement of theKatagaonVillageGovernmentPrimary Schoolwhich comes under his administration.”
"Please remind him that the Right to Education Act mandates one teacher for every 30 students."
"Please tell him to appoint a teacher to the school immediately and ensure a chance for a brighter future for our children."
"Thank You."
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