Parents and local guardians locked the gates of Danojhola Government Upper Primary School in Komna block of Nuapada district on Monday, demanding immediate action against the ongoing shortage of teachers.
The move left both students and existing staff unable to enter the premises, forcing them to return home without classes.
The school, which accommodates 172 students from nursery to Class 8, currently operates with only 4 teachers—a condition described by locals as “untenable and unjust.” According to community representatives, the recent teacher transfer process further aggravated the situation, removing 4 of the previous 5 teachers and replacing them with only 3. Notably, the school has lacked a science teacher for nearly three years.
Agitated guardians warned that the school gate would remain locked until three additional teachers are appointed. Their protest aims to highlight the administrative irregularities in the recent transfer process and demand urgent intervention from district authorities.
The issue of disproportionate student-teacher ratios and lack of subject-specific faculty has now sparked widespread discussion across Nuapada district, with allegations of mismanagement and calls for reform dominating local discourse.
