While we live in a society that believes in “Padhega India tabhi toh badhega India (India will develop only when India is educated),” the state of affairs of the higher secondary school in a tribal-dominated village in Madhya Pradesh shows a different picture.

Dependent on ‘self-study’, students of Mungwani Higher Secondary School in Narsinghpur district lament the lack of teachers in the school. For over a year, only two teachers are employed at the school. Over 500 students from standard nine to twelve protested at district headquarters claiming that teachers were sent to other schools in the district while their official posting was at Mungwani.

A student of standard 10 Khushi Noria informed that only the teachers for Hindi and Science were available to teach in the school, but often they are busy with other work and aren’t able to teach the students.  

Rajeshwari Thakur, a student of class 12, said they were forced to self-study since there are only two teachers in the school. She added that since they have to study subjects other than Hindi and Science on their own, there is a high possibility that they might not be able to secure passing marks for their board examinations.

Even the parents of the students allege that while the administration is making big claims of developing tribal-dominated areas, they don’t care about the future of students.

Kanchhedi Lal Thakur, Rajeshwari’s father, said that while four teachers were posted to the school, they were not sent and owing to this they can’t even hire temporary teachers. 

While the school had seven teachers for 673 students, five out of those seven were appointed to other schools in the district. Teachers at Mungwani Higher Secondary School have been trying to teach other subjects as well but without making any real headway.

Radha Gupta, the Science teacher, said they have been trying to teach other subjects as well, but only qualified teachers can teach subjects like Mathematics and English. She added that the absence of teachers has resulted in the students preparing for these subjects by themselves. 

Owing to protests by the students and media reports, the district administration has promised to make amends to improve the situation.

District collector Deepak Saxena said he has ordered the district education officer to make sure that an appropriate number of teachers are appointed to the school.

Arun Kumar Ingle, district education officer, said they were taking stock of the situation and will be making arrangements to allot teachers to the school.