Rayagada, 24th Sept 2025: Teachers and instructors are entrusted with the important responsibility of educating tribal students. However, in Rayagada district, the Education Department has burdened teachers with excessive additional duties beyond teaching. It has been observed that some teachers are leaving their classrooms and carrying materials on bicycles. As a result, students’ education is being hampered, and the gap between teachers and students is increasing.
Recently, at schools in blocks, ancillary materials including playground equipment for students arrived along with bicycles. Providing these materials to schools is the responsibility of the Education Department. However, teachers were seen transporting these materials themselves on their motorcycles. This has raised questions among intellectuals about the practicality of such arrangements.
Education Department guidelines specify that schools in each cluster should receive materials with transport assistance provided by the department. Separate funds have been allocated to the Education Department for this purpose. But today, teachers were seen leaving their teaching duties and carrying materials tied to their own bikes.
Additionally, some schools could not even open for classes. Previously, the Education Department had burdened primary teachers with various non-teaching activities such as enrollment drives, training sessions, creating school environments (tree plantation, plastic use awareness), pledge weeks, midday meal programs, education meetings, cleanliness campaigns, etc. Alongside these, teachers are also required to attend training and meetings at the CRCC and DPC levels.
Because teachers are occupied with these non-teaching responsibilities every day, education in remote areas is being adversely affected, leading to complaints from parents.
When asked about transportation costs for carrying CRCC materials, officer Shabir Lal Singh said he has no information about any reimbursements.