Staff shortage at Behnipora Hr Sec School triggers student protests

Handwara, Mar 28: Upset and angered students thronged streets in Behnipora village of Handwara area in frontier district Kupwara as this higher secondary school having a sanctioned strength of fourteen lecturers has just one lecturer and four teachers with no principle in place has virtually become defunct.
The staff shortage does not catch the attention of top brass of the education department as this higher secondary school having an enrolled capacity of more than three hundred students has just three teachers, one lecturer and one vice principle to take care of the academic work of the classes. The students holding anti-government pla cards and banners were out on the streets on Thursday over their long pending demand about availability of teachers, lecturers and the principle for the school.
Some respectable of the area told KNS that the school established in 2011 has though a land facility of eighteen kanals but the government does not bother to take measures for building the infrastructure for this school having enrolment of over three hundred children. On academic arrangements few lecturers were sent to this school to overcome the staff strength but this year government has not sent any contractual lecturer to overcome the staff strength in the school.
Director School Education Dr G N Itoo when contacted told KNS “we are at it; we will take care of the staff shortage that has hit the working of the school. We will ensure that shortage of lecturers and teachers is overcome but the issue of the appointment of full-fledged principle for the school has to be sorted out by the administrative department.” (KNS)