Leave those kids alone: teachers of bandh-hit schools tell Gorkhaland agitators ..... In Kurseong, a silent march to press for reopening of schools

A few hundred teachers from private and government-run schools in  Kurseong taking part in the rally on Saturday. (HT Photo)

Pramod Giri, HT, 16 September 2017, Siliguri: The indefinite bandh, which entered its 94th day on Saturday, has badly affected school students, especially those who will appear for final board examinations next year. 

Thousands of school students affected by the political impasse in Darjeeling hills found their teachers walking that extra mile on Saturday. A few hundred teachers organised a peace rally in Kurseong and demanded that schools be allowed to function normally.

The bandh called by 15 political parties and organisations spearheading the Gorkhaland movement entered its 94th day on Saturday. Darjeeling and Kalimpong are known for some of the best convent schools in the country and children from not only other states but countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Thailand come here to study.

Kurseong alone is home to 17 ICSE schools and many missionary and government-run schools. The bandh has caused immense problem for the students, especially those who will appear for their final board examinations in 2018.

On Saturday, heads of the ICSE schools and some government-run schools organised the rally. Teachers carried placards that said: “Gorkhaland is our constitutional right, education is our fundamental right.”

Addressing the rally, Robindra Subba, director of Himali Boarding School, said education cannot be allowed to suffer. Most of the teachers said they supported the demand for Gorkhaland but did not want a separate state at the cost of education.

Chetan Tewari, principal at St Anthony’s School and Kurseong coordinator for Association of Hill Listed ICSE Schools said, “Students have already suffered a heavy loss and we humbly request all parties to allow normal functioning of schools.”

Though most of the schools in Kurseong are open, students are not attending classes in uniform.

In Darjeeling and Kalimpong, classes are being held outside the schools. Some institutions are even organising special classes for final-year students in Siliguri. This is putting additional financial burden on parents.

Tewari told HT that though more than 95 per cent boarders have returned to his school, the students and teachers feel insecure. “This insecurity should be done away with,” he said.

Some of the reputable schools in the region are St Paul’s School (set up in 1864), St Joseph’s School (1888), Loreto Convent (1846), Goethals Memorial (1907), Mount Hermon (1895), Dr Graham’s Homes (1900). Almost all these institutions have boarding facility for students.

MP |  16 Sep 2017, Darjeeling: Teaching and non-teaching staff of private schools of Kurseong took out a rally on Saturday demanding that education be treated as an emergency service and kept outside the purview of bandhs. 

Incidentally, it has been nearly three months that schools are shut in the Hills owing to the indefinite bandh clamped by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). Students from all over the country and the continent study in the Hill schools. However, with the Hills in the grip of a political unrest, a major dent in the image of the Hills as an education hub has been caused.

The past three months have been trying for the school authorities as well as the parents and guardians of the students. For the teachers, the main cause of concern has been completion of syllabus for the Class X and XII board examinations along with completion of formalities like online registrations. With the clampdown on the Internet services in the Hills, online registration has not been possible.

Many parents and guardians have been contemplating withdrawing their children and sending them to schools elsewhere. Many of the boarding schools had even arranged for classes in the plains of Siliguri for the boarders while day scholars attended tuition classes organised by the schools in fancy dresses outside the school campus. 

On Saturday, a silent rally was taken out in Kurseong town by teaching and non-teaching staff of Kurseong schools. The rally carrying a banner "Gorkhaland is our Constitutional right; Education is our fundamental right" commenced from the Kurseong tourist lodge and culminated at the motor stand. 

Chetan Tiwari, Director of St. Anthony's School, Kurseong stated: "Education like emergency services should be kept outside the purview of the bandh. We all support the Gorkhaland demand but education is equally important. It has been three months that schools are shut in the Hills. The future of students is at stake." In Darjeeling, the district administration using the public address system appealed to all the schools to commence from Monday.