Students Return Uniforms, Skip Meals to Protest Teacher Shortage at Odisha School

Bhubaneswar: In an unusual protest highlighting staff shortages in government schools, students of Kakharuni U.G. U.P. School in Odisha’s Kendrapara district returned their uniforms and boycotted classes on Wednesday, demanding the immediate appointment of additional teachers.

The school, located under Pattamundai block, has more than 300 students enrolled across eight classes but only four teachers currently in position. Agitating students refused to enter classrooms and also declined the mid-day meal, saying academic activities had been severely disrupted due to the shortage.

Parents and local residents said routine teaching has become nearly impossible, with teachers forced to juggle multiple classes at the same time, leaving several groups of students unattended. They expressed concern that the situation was affecting learning outcomes and the overall academic environment.

In a symbolic gesture, students handed back their uniforms to school authorities, stating that their protest was aimed solely at securing proper education.

“We are protesting for our studies. We are not able to learn properly because there are not enough teachers,” one student said.

The school headmaster acknowledged the crisis, saying the institution has been struggling with inadequate staffing for months. Of the sanctioned seven posts, one teacher has been promoted to a cluster resource centre coordinator (CRCC) role while two others are on maternity leave, leaving only four teachers to manage 309 students.

He said repeated appeals had been made to higher authorities to fill the vacancies and restore normal functioning. Officials are yet to announce any immediate corrective measures, even as the protest drew attention from the wider community.