Education mess in Yogi raj: Lucknow schoolgirls protest twice in three days

Students of a government residential school in Uttar Pradesh’s capital staged a protest on Monday, 17 August amid heavy rain, alleging a shortage of teachers and disruption of regular classes, amid the ongoing 'School Thik Karo' campaign launched by the Cockroach Janta Party.

The protest by students of Jai Prakash Narayan Sarvodaya Balika Vidyalaya was the second such demonstration in three days. On Friday, students of the same school had protested over their grievances.

Around 9.00 am on Monday, several students came out of the school and staged protests at the Dubagga-Kanpur bypass and Balaganj intersections. Carrying posters and banners highlighting issues related to teaching at the school, the students raised slogans.

Despite the rain, some students sat at the protest site with towels wrapped around their heads, while others formed a human chain by holding hands and blocked traffic at a busy intersection. Officials said the protest disrupted traffic during the morning rush hour, following which police were deployed to bring the situation under control.

The students, described as 'Gen Alpha', primarily raised the issue of a shortage of teachers and alleged that classes were not being conducted properly.

After receiving information about the protest, senior police and administrative officials reached the spot and persuaded the students to call it off. They were subsequently taken back to the school premises, where senior officials held discussions with them.

A student, Anamika, said classes at the school were held from 8.00 am to evening, with the assembly alone taking nearly two hours, leaving students with little time for activities other than studies. She alleged that despite there being a large number of science students at the school, it had only one chemistry teacher, while there were no teachers for biology or physics.

"Board examinations are approaching, but studies are being affected because of the shortage of teachers. Students are also facing difficulties attending online classes," Anamika said.

The protesting students also demanded action against the warden and the appointment of additional teachers. They warned that they would resume their protest if their demands were not met.

Social welfare department director Sanjeev Singh said officials had spoken to the students and were trying to resolve their grievances through discussions. A department official said the students were taken back to the school after the morning protest and senior officials were present there to discuss their problems and demands.

The Congress targeted the BJP government over the students' grievances. Sharing a video of the protest, the party said, "In Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, 'Gen Alpha' (children of today's generation) have taken to the streets, demanding their rights and raising slogans.

"They are saying: 'Call the CM.'

"The students say:

• There is a severe shortage of teachers in schools.

• They are not being prepared for their board examinations.

• Children are being served poor-quality food.

• They do not even receive medical treatment when they fall ill."

The Congress said, "The BJP government makes all kinds of claims, but mismanagement prevails everywhere. Education is a distant concern. Children in schools are struggling even for basic facilities. But the BJP government's sense of shame has also died; all it sees is power, not the future of the country."