90 Arunachal schoolgirls march 65km to protest teacher shortage

Itanagar: Around 90 girl students from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) in Nangnyo village under Pijeriang circle of Arunachal Pradesh’s Pakke Kessang district marched towards district headquarters Lemmi on Sunday night to highlight acute shortage of teachers in the school.The students embarked on a march from Nyangno village on Sunday midnight, covering over 65km, and reached Lemmi, the district headquarters, an official said.The march was led by students of Class XI and XII, and were joined by other students, demanding immediate posting of geography and political science teachers.The students in school uniforms and holding a sign that read, ‘A school without a teacher, just a building’, shouted slogans demanding posting of geography and political science teachers.The protestors claimed that they were left with no option as their repeated pleas for geography and political science teachers were left unanswered by school and other higher education department officials.Established in 2011-12, the school is being managed by NGO Sei Donyi Charitable Trust and aims to provide education for girls from disadvantaged communities in educationally backward areas. The school, at present, has over 90 students and has a headmistress, a warden and at least 13 teachers.“The students were protesting acute shortage of teachers in the school,”Pakke Kessang deputy director of school education (DDSE) Deepak Tayeng said on Monday.The DDSE said the department has approved the appointment of geography and political science teachers after the midnight march.