Coimbatore: Schoolteachers from the district have raised concerns over the splitting of Coimbatore educational district into four.
While Coimbatore was divided into four educational districts and a district educational officer (DEO) has been appointed for each district, teachers say the school educational department had not consulted them before taking the decision.
Government schoolteachers from the district said teachers and parents from some areas had to travel long distances to reach the DEO’s office, under the current plan. They said the availability of public transport was not considered while splitting the district.
However, education department officials said the decision was taken after consulting the stakeholders and with due consideration.
A schoolteacher said in the current plan, the office of the SS Kulam DEO is currently located in Ondipudur. “If a parent or a teacher from Annur has to reach the DEO’s office with an issue, they would have to take a bus to Gandhipuram and then take another bus from Gandhipuram to Ondipudur, which would cause a lot of inconvenience,” said a government schoolteacher.
Teachers also said in the current scheme, Periyanaickenpalayam and Karamadai panchayat unions have been clubbed along with Coimbatore city as the Coimbatore educational district, which was contradictory.
Currently, Coimbatore city, Periyanaickenpalayam and Karamadai come under Coimbatore educational district; Kinathukadavu, Madukkarai, Thondamuthur, and Perur come under Perur educational district; Sarkarsamakulam, Annur, Sulur and Sultanpet come under Sarkarsamakulam educational district; and Valparai, Pollachi South, Pollachi North and Anamalai come under Pollachi educational district.
Saying the school education department had decided on these divisions without consulting headmasters, teachers or office workers, they said the ideal way to divide the district into educational districts was as follows:
Coimbatore (South) educational district: Kinathukadavu, Madukkarai, Thondamuthur, Perur; Coimbatore (North) educational district: Coimbatore city, Sulur, Sultanpet, Sarkarsamakulam; Mettupalayam educational district: Periyanaickenpalayam, Karamadai, Annur; and Pollachi educational district be retained as it is now.