Odisha: Notice Issued To Headmistress After Viral Video Shows Teachers Using Classroom Doors As Blackboards

Odisha's sub-par education infrastructure has been put under the scanner once again with a viral video showing a teacher using the classroom doors as blackboards. Despite bringing multiple innovations into the education sector, many schools in the country continue to function without a proper roof or basic facilities.

The Hingula government high school in Jajpur town of Odisha has brought this concern back to the forefront. The government high school was among those that were transformed under the government's highly praised 5T programme, but a recent video of the school narrates an entirely different reality.

Exam Questions Written On Classroom Door

The video that went viral on social media showed a teacher writing questions for an examination on the classroom door, in the absence of a blackboard. According to a report by the New Indian Express, the video was taken during the school's half-yearly examinations for classes I to VIII. Much to the surprise of the students, they were greeted at the examination hall with no test papers on their desks. For the entire session, they were asked to submit answers based on questions scribbled on the classroom door.

When the news reached the parents and guardians of the students, they approached the school administration, demanding an explanation. The parents were sent back after being reassured that the questions would be written on the blackboard thereafter. Examinations were resumed in the school only after this guarantee was executed, and teachers went back to utilising the existing blackboards in the institution.

The government school, with about 500 students enrolled, was among those upgraded under the Odisha government's 5T Initiative in November 2021. With the recent incident coming to light, many raised questions and concerns about the lack of proper facilities in state-run educational institutions.

'Lack Of Infrastructure'

The school's headmistress, Saraswati Panda, stated that they had failed to provide question papers as the school did not receive them from the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan authorities. As for the classroom doors being used as boards, she justified the move by stating that the school had more than 400 students taking the examinations, and the entire school building did not have that many blackboards.

Seating arrangements were made despite this knowledge, and the teachers had to write the questions on the classroom doors helplessly. The District education officer (DEO) Ranjan Kumar Giri initiated action after the video went viral and issued a show cause notice to the headmistress for her carelessness and dereliction of duty. A reply to the same is expected within three days, after which the authorities will move ahead with necessary actions.

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