Two eighth‑grade schoolgirls lost consciousness after a scuffle broke out inside Saiintala Government High School in Bolangir district on Saturday.
The incident occurred when two boys, identified as Bibek Rana and Sumant Bag, fought during the afternoon session. In the chaos, they fell on two girls, who collapsed and remained unconscious for nearly half an hour. Family members rushed to the school after receiving information and took the girls to the Saiintala Community Health Centre. Doctors treated both students. One girl recovered and returned home, while the other remained admitted for further care.
CRC officer Pramod Budek visited the hospital to check on the student’s condition and to understand how the incident unfolded. Parents told him that no teacher was present at the time of the fight. They said the lack of supervision allowed the boys to engage in reckless behaviour, which endangered the girls.
Headmistress Saudamini Bagarti admitted that the school runs nine classes with only six teachers. She explained that teachers often leave one group of students with assignments while attending another class. This shortage of staff created gaps in supervision, which contributed to the incident.
Local residents demanded immediate intervention from the block education department. They argued that inadequate staffing and negligence by school authorities put children at risk. The community urged officials to address the shortage of teachers and ensure proper monitoring during school hours.
