‘Kallar Reclamation schools in need of teachers, better infrastructure’

Wardens and teachers of Kallar Reclamation schools in Madurai, Theni and Dindigul districts appealed to Minister for Backward Classes Welfare Siva V. Meyyanathan to improve the infrastructure of schools and hostels to improve students’ performance in terms of education and sports.   

The Minister conducted a meeting with officials here on Thursday to review the performance of the schools and hostels functioning under the BC Welfare Department. While Mr. Meyyanathan suggested teachers to chalk out ways to improve students’ academic performance, he also instructed education officials to honour the best performance of studenns and schools in the previous academic years.  

When teachers rued about insufficient teachers in Kallar Reclamation Schools, which was also one of the reasons for dragging down the performance of students, Mr. Meyyanathan asked the School Education Department officials to prioritise KR schools when appointing teachers.  

The head of a KR school said that due to the vacancy of teacher for Social Science subject, 11 students failed in that subject alone. “If not for that subject, they would have cleared all the subjects,” she said.  

Also, when teachers informed him that the counselling process which was yet to happen would solve the problem, he said, transfer of teachers towards the end of an academic year would affect the students appearing for final exams, so it would be appropriate to relieve them only after the exams.  

He directed the officials to buy materials chairs, tables, and other furniture using the sanctioned fund at the earliest, as any delay is tantamount to wastage of money.  “When even a minor discomfort caused to the students due to delay in procuring materials could spoil their education, money sanctioned should be immediately used,” he said.  

Hinting at infections caused due to the unhygienic toilets in KR schools, Mr. Meyyanathan asked officials to utilise the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund to improve the infrastructure and cleanliness of the toilets.  

Teachers from Theni and Dindigul districts complained that they were not provided with sanitation workers to clean the school premises. While schools in Madurai district were using the fund of school Head Person to pay the sanitary worker, Theni and Dindigul Head Persons were not allocated the amount, they alleged.  Officials suggested that the Village Poverty Reduction Committee could be roped in to arrive at a solution to the problem.  

Further, the long-pending problem of inadequate cooks in KR hostels was raised by many hostel wardens. They said the State government recently added new items to the menu, but since the cooks were not trained or have no experience in cooking dishes like pulav rice, they end up giving a bad food.  

Due to this, students abstain from eating at the hostel. This not only affects their health but also adds to their economic burden, the wardens said.  

“₹3,000 which was given to every hostel for a month’s maintenance expense has been reduced to ₹1,200. As ₹600 is being paid to newspapers, with just ₹600 remaining, we cannot buy disinfectants, brooms, etc., for maintaining a hygiene environment,” they said.  

As officials noted down schools and hostels which were in need of additional buildings, Mr. Meyyanathan assured them that a proposal would be submitted to the government to construct new buildings.

V. Sampath, Commissioner, Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities Welfare Department, was present at the meeting.  

Published - November 14, 2024 09:25 pm IST