Though there is a private school next to his house, Mustafa, a resident of Kuttar, has been sending his three children to the Government Higher Primary School in Munnooru, which is a kilometre away. It is the quality education and discipline there that made Mustafa admit his children in school where he studied as a youngster.

On Thursday, he and the parents of other children of the school took to the street protesting against the likely transfer of physical education teacher Sashikala and assistant teacher Sumangala. “It’s Ms. Sashikala who has been teaching our children how to lead a disciplined life for over a decade. Sumangala madam has been teaching basics to our children (in Nali Kali method) of classes 1 to 3. We cannot lose them,” Mr. Mustafa said.

Ms. Sashikala and Ms. Sumangala are among the 68 additional teachers who are set to be transferred to schools in Puttur and Belthangady, where teachers are few in number. If these two teachers are transferred, it leaves the school with only eight teachers, including the headmaster, for 187 students.

“Our children will be denied quality education. We cannot afford to lose a physical education teacher. Loosing a Nali Kali teacher will harm the young children,” said Hameed, another parent. He also questioned why the State government was carrying out this exercise in the middle of the academic year.

Similar concerns were expressed by parents of the children of the six-decade-old Government Higher Primary School in Pilar near Kolya, which has 100 students. Here, the government has decided to transfer one experienced teacher, who has been teaching students of classes 1 to 3. This would leave the school with five teachers.

Expressing displeasure over the move, School Development and Management Committee president P.C. Imtiyaz said the government was creating a situation that would lead to closure of its schools.

“We will not allow this,” said Mr. Imtiyaz, who has decided to lock the school as a mark of protest.

[Source:- The Hindu]