COIMBATORE: A corporation elementary school located at Saramedu in Coimbatore with 99 students has been functioning with just one teacher and the headmaster for last three months.
The students are studying in Class I to Class V. As per government norms, a teacher should be appointed for every 30 students.
The school was established in 1967.
The enrollment of the school had gone down to 60 a few years ago. But for the past two years, the number has been close to 100. In October, more than 120 students were studying at the school. "But lack of facilities and teachers force parents to take students out of the school," said headmaster of the school Sundara Kumar.
On Friday, parents gathered outside the school and staged a protest. Mohana K, mother of two children who study in the school, said only one teacher had been handling all students for more than three months.
"A training teacher was appointed but that teacher too left in a few days' time. Our child's future is at stake. First of all, there are no facilities in the school. It does not even have a compound wall and most of the vehicles travel through the school ground. Our children also run to the roads very often," said Mohana.
A Hajeema , another parent, said they could not afford private schools and that is why most parents are sending their children to the
corporation school.
"This is near to our home. So we preferred this. We are not asking for A grade facilities. But how can the school function without teachers," she asked. She said her son, who studies in Class II, been studying well till November. "Since November not a single class has been held as there was only one teacher," she said.
The corporation education officer was unavailable for comment. Other officials told TOI that a teacher named Sakthivel, who taught Class I and Class II students, had been transferred to another school in the district. And only one teacher -- Kilakavathi -- had been teaching the children.
"The teacher who has been appointed to this school has filed a case and his appointment has been stalled," said a corporation official.
Parents said the education department should make alternate arrangements and appoint another teacher full time for the school. "We will petition the district collector regarding the issue on Monday," said Hajeema.
