Bihar News:
The fear of Bihar's Education Department's Deputy Chief Secretary, KK Pathak, seems to be waning as his claims of educational reform crumble in the secluded area of Jamui. Local officials turn a blind eye to the collapsing education system. A school in Jamui has been transformed into a private haven due to officials' negligence, with children laboring in place of learning. The schoolteacher has co-opted a classroom as her personal bedroom.
The head teacher is making children do household chores instead of studying, forcing them to transport construction materials like rods, cement, and gravel for her house. Another disturbing revelation shows the teacher has converted the school room into her living space, complete with TV, refrigerator, wardrobe, bed, and a fully equipped kitchen.
The whole issue hails from the Hadkhad Panchayat of the Khaira block in Jamui district which came to light through shared images. The headteacher, Sheila Hembram, has turned the room that should have been an office into her home, complete with all luxuries of comfort. She resides there with her husband, utilizing the space for personal activities instead of educating the children in what essentially should have been a classroom.
Sheila Hembram's parental home is in the same village where the school is located. Taking advantage of being a local, she has shifted all her household items to the school and has been living there for more than a month while her house undergoes construction. During the construction, she not only turned the school into her home but also employed the students in labor.
On one hand, the Education Secretary continues to issue instructions to improve the academic infrastructure, while on the other, these incidents expose the hollowness of such claims in Jamui district.
Upon investigation into the misuse of the school office as her bedroom, DM Rakesh Kumar issued directions for action after examining the premises.
District Magistrate Rakesh Kumar, District Education Officer Kapildev Tiwari, Civil Surgeon Dr. Kumar Mahendra Pratap, along with other officials, visited Bardaun and surveyed the school facility, reprimanding the headteacher Sheila Hembram and ordering an inquiry into the case.
