Smart school operates sans teachers in Balasore of Odisha

Balasore: The smart high school in Kashipada of Balasore district in Odisha was established in 1980 and was constructed at a cost of Rs one crore but, is operating without any teacher.

The government of Odisha has been spending huge sums of money on the infrastructural development of schools and education in the state. But it is unfortunate that the government has failed to pay attention to the recruitment, management, and posting of teachers. Hence, the high school at Kashipada has no teachers.

There are presently a total of 227 students in the school from standard 8 to standard 10. In 2017, the school had eight teachers, one clerk and three peons. Four teachers retired between 2017 and 2022 and the rest of the four teachers retired in 2023.

But surprisingly no new teacher was posted to the school in the span of the last six years. After the constant insistence of the school managing committee, the district education board has deputed four teachers to the school, but only two teachers have joined so far.

The two teachers have to look after the day-to-day functioning and management of the school and hence hardly have time to impart education.

The future of the students is now in the hands of the few former teachers and youth of the village who have volunteered to teach the students. The absence of teachers being posted to the school has forced the students to seek respite in various tuition classes.