Shankarlal Raikwar belongs to a community that dances at festivals and carnivals for a living; he is also a farmer and a Community Correspondent. Shankarlal is an expert in performing feminine roles especially from mythological texts like the Mahabharata. He is proud of his art but unfortunately it makes him a point of ridicule in society. He is also worried…
Bags on their back, freshly combed hair, a skip in their step, the students at the Jariya Primary School walked into the compound in ones and twos. But to their dismay it was a holiday, again.
Community Correspondent, Shankarlal Raykwar reports from this school that the officially appointed teacher in charge of taking classes here has been absconding for the last few months.
The headmaster who runs the school is also prone to often pulling a disappearing act. Leaving day to day administration in a lurch.
The teaching responsibility of 5 grades has fallen upon a para-teacher, Ms Mamta Gupta. Despite her best efforts, she cannot handle the workload. Chaos reigns supreme.
With schools like this, it is little wonder that Uttar Pradesh has one of the lowest literacy rates in the country—70%.
"The future of these children seems grim unless positive steps are taken to keep a check on such errant teachers", says Shankarlal.
Avijit Adhikary is a journalist with nearly 8000 days of field experience till date. In the past two decades, he has witnessed the ebb and flow of the media industry in India, with ripples felt in his region too. This includes the rise of digital media, the decline of print...
The Primary School in Deegam, Shopian, is 5 kilometres away from the district headquarters. That school lacked the required teaching staff, with 30 students, they had only one teacher. The Community Correspondent Basharat Amin highlighted the issue with the Education Department officials. The parents of children emphasised that there should...
