For the first time Sirmour district has experienced mass agitations against the large number of government Schools producing nil or below 15 percent results in the board classes. People agitated this poor performance in different way including in Gandhigiri style on the pattern of Hindi film “Lage Raho Munna Bhaiâ€. This time, local Panchyats were playing major role in taking these Schools to task. CM’s office favours strict action in such cases.
For the first time in the history of Sirmour people have come on roads to fight against the poor academic results of government schools and save the future of their wards. This year performance of a large number of government schools in the district have shocked every one by producing all time low, zero or below ten percent results mainly in 8th, 10th and 12th, which were Board classes in the state. People could not control their emotions and agitated against the ‘carelessness, slackness and irresponsible attitude’ of highly paid government teachers towards the studies.
Highly placed sources in Education Directorate confirmed that public complaints against Schools producing shameless results were continuously pouring in. This time new feature in this matter was this that local Panchyats were openly coming forward with their complaints against the schools producing nil or below 20 percent results in the board classes. On such complaints forwarded by the Panchyats strict action was being initiated sources added.
Sources in the office of Chief Minister also confirmed having received such complaints and added that just two days back acting on a similar complaint strict action had been taken. Two teachers had been suspended and show cause notice severed to seven other teachers of Government Senior Secondary School Koti Dhaman in the Sangrah tehsil of Sirmour district. The School had set ‘a new record in non performance’ by producing nil results in the 8th and 10th classes. In 8th class all 61 students and in 10th class total 34 students who appeared in the examinations failed. Residents of the area, which is one of the most rural and tough terrain hills in the Trans Giri belt of district came on the roads to protest against the poor results which they call ‘conspiracy’ against the rural poor students and made complaint to the Chief Minister in this regard.
Residents of 9 villages of Shambhuwala area of Nahan tehsil protested against the poor results of Government Senior Secondary School [GSSS] Bankala which was only plus two School in the area with large number of enrolment of students. Residents of surrounding villages assembled in the School ground under the leadership of local Panchyat President Davender Rana and raised slogans against the Principal and teachers of the school and Education Department. They alleged that school had produced shameless results in board classes as only ten out of total 98 students passed in class 8th and only 16 students passed in the tenth class also out of total 147 students that appeared in the examination. Protestants entered in the school compound and gharoud principal and other staff members for more than three hours. Villagers sat on Dharna in the school compound and demanded immediate transfer of total staff of the school including School Principal.
Mr. Davender Rana, President of local Panchyat said that representations in this regards had been dispatched to the Chief Minister Mr. Virbhadra Singh and Director Education, demanding immediate action against the staff. They also alleged that it was happening due to absence of any accountability of government teachers fixed by the state government.
Similar agitations were witnessed at several places in the district. In GSSS Panjahal in Nahan tehsil residents led by Panchyat President, a young man, Surender Singh adopted the formula of ‘Gandhigiri’ on the pattern of Hindi film Lage Raho Munna Bhai to peacefully register their protest against the poor results of Panjahal School. Villagers assembled in a large number near the residence of Panchyat President and entered the School in a queue and very politely. They offered a pack of sweets with a five rupee note on it to the Principal of the School for the ‘achievement of School in board classes in which 4 students passed out of total 41 in 8th and only three students passed in 10th class out of total 46 students that appeared in the examination’.
As per reports received from the office of Dy. Director Secondary Education Sirmour, setting all time low record in its 22 years history GSSS Jamta in Nahan tehsil produced nil result as all the 31 students who appeared in class 8th examination failed. Kamlahad Government High School [GHS] also produced nil result as all 14 students failed in 10th class while only two cleared for next class out of 30 students in 8th class examinations. In Government Middle School [GMS] Shilla only one cleared for next class out of 27 in 8th class, in GMS Toka Nagla 3 passed 8th class out of 37, in GMS Khala Kyar 7 passed 8th class out of 41, in GMS Loja only one student cleared for next class in 8th class examinations out of 29, in GMS Naya also only one student passed 8th class out of 13, in GMS Lajwa 5 passed 8th class out of 22, in Gagal Shikor also 5 students passed 8th class out of 37, in GMS Gudahan 2 students passed 8th class out of 17, GSSS Trilok Pur only 10 students passed 8th class out of 98, in GHS Jamniwala 4 out of 72, in Kishanpura, 8 out of 65 and in HS Devthi Majhgaon, 11 students passed 8th class out of total 53 students that appeared in the examinations. In GSSS Basahan only 6 students passed 10th class out of total 70 students while in GSSS Halahan in Shillai area only 6 students passed 8th class out of 46 and in plus two 8 students out of total 42 students passed to next class.
There were a large number of such schools that had produced poor and all time low results in the district. In maximum such cases local Panchyats and people had registered their agitations in different manners and made complaints to the government demanding immediate action against teaching staff responsible for this ‘disaster’ which had spoiled the lives of thousands of students in the district. When contacted Mr. Paramjeet Singh, Deputy Director, Secondary Education Sirmour district told this correspondent that this year HP Education Board had not made available consolidate result of the district to the District Offices, that’s why his office was facing difficulty in assessing the performance of different schools in the district. He confirmed that his office had received a number of complaints against the Schools that have produced bad results and all such representations had been forwarded with the departmental reports to the head office for further action. He further said that department had viewed this failure very seriously that’s why he had written to every school in the district to submit their complete result card to his office immediately. He said that strict action would be taken against teaching staff in such cases where teachers have put their personal interests over and above the welfare of students and produced shameful results.
Working as district correspondent with The Tribune & Danik Tribune in Sirmour.
