Rayagada: Students of a residential school in Rayagada district walked 25 km to complain to the collector against the school authorities regarding several issues.
As many as 14 students from Class 5 to 8 of the Badaraising Ashram School managed to come out of their school premises at around 3.30 am and moved towards Rayagada Collectorate. They reached the office in the morning to meet the Collector.
“Neither do we get quality teaching at the school, nor get adequate and standard food. Our teachers especially English teacher is not competent enough to teach in the classroom. We do not understand the subject as it is taught and explained in English, not in Odia. Besides, the food is not served to us properly. We are not allowed to have water bottles with us inside the room,” alleged a Class 8 student.
“We do not get food properly at school. Other basic items like soap and oil that should be given to us once a month are not provided to us. Even the teaching quality is not up to the standard. One official had visited our school recently, but we could not dare to inform him of all these irregularities due to presence of the headmaster. Thus, we decided to visit the Collector to convey our grievances,” alleged another student of the tribal school.
“I received an information that some students have walked to the Collectorate to lodge their complaints regarding several problems of their school. We have recorded their statements. We will get the statements of other students at the school. The action will be taken after probing their allegations. We will also enquire under which circumstances the students came out of the school in the wee hours. The action will be taken if the school staff will be found in dereliction in their duty,” said an official.
