Panchayat union teachers on ‘campaign’ trail

Teachers of Panchayat Union elementary and middle schools are on their toes in rural parts of the district — to enrol students. They move in groups to households in the vicinity of their institutions to carry out census of children above five years of age.

“We know that our efforts will fetch only partial results. It is difficult to convince even BPL families about the utility of government schools. The thought that their children will be educated in a better way in English medium schools is ingrained in their minds,” a teacher of Tiruverumbur Panchayat Union said. Another important objective behind the door-to-door campaign is more pragmatic. Any reduction in the number of students will cause erosion in the sanctioned strength of teachers, as a headmaster pointed out. Irrespective of the number of students on rolls, a primary school is sanctioned two teachers including headmaster. On an average, one teacher is sanctioned for 30 students.

In their desperation to retain existing students, teachers of some schools pool in money to engage extra hands through parent-teacher organisations. Some undertake the cost of transporting students back to their homes. Losing teachers due to inadequate student strength complicates matters. It becomes a herculean task to reverse the sanction even after a hike in numbers in subsequent years, another headmaster said. More often, there is competition amongst panchayat union schools to just maintain their student strength, leave alone expand enrolment, a teacher said.