Hill schools seek strike exemption - Kurseong teachers organise rally

The rally in Kurseong on Saturday

TT, Calcutta, Sept. 16: Teachers and school owners in Kurseong today organised a rally requesting politicians to keep educational institutions out of the ambit of the indefinite strike, the first time teachers in the Darjeeling hills have hit the streets seeking exemption from the shutdown.

"The main theme of our rally was that while Gorkhaland is a constitutional demand, education is a fundamental right," said a teacher, requesting anonymity.

The march, during which teachers sang "We shall overcome", started at Kurseong Tourist Lodge and ended at the local motor stand.

Schools in Kurseong, which has the highest density of educational institutions among the four hill subdivisions, have been closed for the past 94 days because of the indefinite strike to demand statehood.

"If emergency services such as health care can be kept out of the strike's purview, why can't education be exempted? We request politicians and other stakeholders to separate education and the strike," said another teacher who walked in the rally.

Kurseong is home to some of the best schools in the hills and its urban economy is largely dependent on the education sector.

"Unlike Darjeeling, our town does not attract many tourists and the urban economy revolves around schools and their boarders. This is not to say that we want education to be exempted because of economic reasons. We are concerned about the future of our young ones," a school head said.

The session will end in November, after which the hill schools will close for a three-month winter vacation. The board exams are slated to be held after the schools reopen.

"There are 16 ICSE schools in Kurseong. The total number of educational institutions in this small town is 40," a teacher said.

Many schools had held "coaching classes" mainly for Classes X and XII students for a fortnight at two marriage halls in Siliguri. "The total daily expenditure was around Rs 60,000," a teacher said. "Even after paying so much, it was virtually impossible to hold proper classes."

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha then told the schools to hold classes in a community hall in Kurseong. "However, since there is only one hall in the town, we were allowed to hold coaching classes in schools," the teacher said.

Several teachers said the attendance of the day scholars - locals who do not live in hostels - was thin. "Fear, lack of transport and shortage of fuel at petrol pumps contributed to the meagre attendance," a teacher said.

Several schools are apprehending losing at least 30 to 35 per cent of outstation students next year.

There are more than 60 ICSE schools in the hills where students from across India and other countries such as the US, European nations, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh study. Around 8,000 outstation students study in the Darjeeling hills.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today said Darjeeling was "peaceful now" and employees had rejoined work. "I want them to work properly. Some people are still trying to create trouble. I urge them to stay away from such activities and join the initiative to restore normality," she said.

Roadblock custody

Thirty-three Morcha supporters, including some women, were sent to 14 days' judicial custody by a Siliguri court today for blocking a highway in Mirik.