Locked staff room, school timings change angers teachers, students
TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: Chowgule higher secondary school witnessed an uproar on Saturday after the teachers and students protested over the management’s decision to lock the staff room and change school timings.
It was only after South Goa District Collector, ND Agrawal intervened and gave written orders to the Chowgule Principal RV Gaonkar to open the staff room so that the situation returned to normal. The Collector has also directed the Principal to hold a meeting of the stakeholders, i.e management, principal, staff and students on Monday at 2.30 pm to discuss the issue threadbare.
Tension rent the air for quite some time after agitated teachers and students barged inside the Principal RV Gaonkar’s cabin to question him on the issue, only to be stopped by the security personnel.
Teachers claimed that security personnel manhandled two of their female colleagues when they went to the staff room Saturday morning. They also claimed that the management opened their lockers inside the staff room without their knowledge.
The students joined teachers in protest against the management’s decision, as the teachers could not conduct classes with the staff room locked. Std XI science students also protested against the management’s decision to hold the classes in the afternoon session, saying the classes end up only after 6 pm, leaving them no time for study. Others also raised concern on the safety of female students on grounds that they will reach home only after sunset.
Principal Gaonkar defended the school timings saying that the management had included this condition when the merit list was displayed by the school.
Principal Gaonkar also tried to defend the shifting of the staff room saying the management had intimated the decision to the teaching staff well in advance. He contended that the staff room has been shifted since the management wanted to use the room to hold classes. However, a member of the teaching staff, Prof Srikhant More demanded to know whether the new staff room has any toilet facility for both male and female teachers.
As the stalemate continued in the Principal’s cabin and the students getting restive outside, Margao PI Sudesh Naik and his staff rushed to the site. District Collector, ND Agrawal, Additional Collector Sandhya Kamat, Deputy Collector Surendra Naik, Mamlatdar Triven Velip all made their presence at the College premises to ensure that the situation does not end up in a law and order problem.
Agrawal and other officials, besides BJP leader Damu Naik later held a closed door meeting with Principal Gaonkar, wherein the Collector issued the order to open the staff room immediately and maintain peace and tranquility in the college premises.
