Team Herald
PONDA: Parents and students at the government primary school at Tariwada, Shiroda, boycotted classes for the second consecutive day, demanding the transfer of primary teacher Vandana Patil. The parents, citing dissatisfaction with the teacher’s performance, claim their children’s academic progress has been negligible in the three months since she joined.
Parents allege that the teacher shows little interest in teaching, often remains preoccupied with her mobile phone, and fails to provide adequate instruction and attention to the students. Complaints have also been raised about her frequent leave of absence and her reluctance to teach students in the first and second standards. “If another teacher goes on leave, who will teach the younger students? Their education is suffering,” said Seema Tari, a parent.
The school, which has 18 enrolled students, witnessed a complete boycott of classes on Tuesday and Wednesday. Parents staged a protest in front of the school on Wednesday morning, reiterating their demand for the teacher’s transfer. They warned of escalating their protest if the Education Department fails to take immediate action.
Parents claim they submitted a representation to the Ponda Taluka Divisional Education Officer two months ago but have yet to see any action. “We will not send our children to school until our demand is met,” the parents declared during a meeting held on Monday night.
In her defence, teacher Vandana Patil denied the allegations and accused two parents of harassing her. “I am fulfilling my duties as per the department’s orders,” she stated.
The incident follows a recent protest at Ramnathi High School, where parents opposed the transfer of a headmaster, citing his positive impact on the school and students. In contrast, the Tariwada case smacks of parental dissatisfaction, with parents insisting that their children’s feedback about the teacher highlighted her incompetence.