Group of 10 teachers trek to remote Buxa Hills to sensitise masses on primary school issue

MP | 6 Mar 2023 | Alipurduar: A group of about ten teachers along with members of Youth Trinamool Congress members trekked to the remote Buxa Hills in the Buxa Tiger Reserve on Monday to assure parents and guardians of students that no primary schools would be shut down in the Buxa Hills. 

On the instructions of the National Education Mission, the State Primary Education Council recently released the list of primary and upper primary schools with less than thirty students. The list contains names of 162 schools with less than thirty students in the urban and rural areas of the Alipurduar district. 

After the official list was published, questions started doing the rounds on whether these primary and upper primary schools would be closed down. On hearing this, residents of Buxa Hill in Kalchini block of Alipurduar pressed the panic button. 

The list contains seven primary and one upper primary school of Buxa hills and foothill forest settlements. “Being of a geographically remote location, the students of Buxa bear a lot of hardship to go to school, specially during monsoon. There are no motorable roads in Buxa Hill and they have to go to school on foot. It is impossible for the students to go down to the plains from Buxa Hill for their schooling. 

The total population of the thirteen villages of Buxa Hill is 3000, so the number of students there is less. Schools in villages or towns with fewer students can be closed as they can attend a nearby school using transportation. However, in Buxa hills this is not possible,” stated Tendu Dukpa, an educated youth of Buxa Hill. 

These schools are located in Buxa Duar, Lepchakha, Adma, Chunabhati, and Santalabari. Paritosh Barman, Chairman of the District Primary School Education Council, said: “On the instructions of the National Education Mission, the list of schools with less than 30 students has been published. We have not received any order to close schools.” Teacher Tamaghna Kishor Sarkar informed that on Monday a group of ten teachers and Youth Trinamool Congress members reached the schools of Buxa hills after a 3-hour trek from the zero point. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/group-of-10-teachers-trek-to-remote-buxa-hills-to-sensitise-masses-on-primary-school-issue-510875