Locking up schools, teachers go on pleasure trip

​Mandal Education Officer accompanies them

Mahbubnagar: In what could be described as utter dereliction of duty, 58 teachers of 42 government schools in Pedda Kottapalli mandal went on ‘mass leave’ on Saturday without informing superiors to proceed on a pleasure trip. Mandal Educational Officer Srinivas also accompanied them! On learning about it, the dismayed superiors ordered a departmental probe into the incident.

With teachers not reporting to work, several schools have been put under lock and key on Saturday; in case of some others educational volunteers ran the show stepping into shoes of the teachers. In Pedda Kottapalli, educational volunteer Renuka conducted the classes and claimed that she had no information about teachers going on leave. Even officials were surprised at government teachers going on a pleasure trip en masse without information.

DEO Eswari Bai ordered a probe. At a time when the government schools are facing stiff competition from private schools, such an incident is inviting criticism from all quarters as the responsibility to boost morale of the students through effective teaching rested on their shoulders.