Around 500 students of Narayanpur Akshay Vidyamandir in South 24-Parganas blocked the tracks at the Gourdaha railway station for about two hours to protest against the transfer of five teachers under the state government’s Utsashree scheme.
Some teachers led by headmaster Bikas Gayen rushed to the station and asked the students to lift the blockade since it was causing harassment to commuters in the Sealdah-Canning section.
Students said the transfer of the five teachers of important subjects like mathematics, science and English would create problems for those |studying in the higher secondary sections.
Sources said the transfer order had been issued by |the district inspector of schools on September 14. Five teachers of the Narayanpur Akshay Vidyamandir were transferred to Moukhali High School that was suffering from poor faculty strength. Narayanpur Akshay Vidyamandir has around 1,200 students with 27 teachers against 30 sanctioned posts. The transfer of the five teachers will further push down the faculty count and that made the students angry.
Last week, the students had appealed to the district administration to reconsider the transfer order. However, finding no response, they blocked railway tracks disrupting train services. Officials from the local administration and the GRP failed to get the blockade lifted.
“We demand that either the transfer order be cancelled or equivalent replacements be made so that our school doesn’t suffer,” a Class XII student said.
Headmaster Bikash Gayen refused to speak on an “administrative decision”. He said: “I was not aware of the students’ decision... when I learnt about it, I immediately requested the students to lift the blockade.”
A senior official of South 24-Parganas administration said: “We have sought a report from the school authority on the agitation. The grievances of students will be considered sympathetically.”
Chandan Maity, general secretary of the Advanced Society for Headmasters and Headmistress, termed the transfer order as “whimsical”.
