School prepones vacations

Statesman News Service

MALDA, May 8: Bullied by political people, the authorities of a school at Khaskol in Malda district have preponed the summer vacation, “to avoid further intimidation.”The incident stems from the large number of failures in the rural schools this year. With a few days left for the panchayat polls, the politicians have smelled an opportunity in the situation and are mounting pressure on the school authorities to promote the failed students. The calculation is simple ~ secure votes from the family of the affected student by arranging an unfair promotion.Worst affected by this practice of the politicians is the Khaskol Junior High School of English Bazaar. The son of a Congress panchayat candidate Sheikh Tajiuddin is a student of the school. He failed in Class VI this year. The Congress candidate immediately demanded a pass certificates from the school authorities for his son and several other unsuccessful candidates. The school authorities refused to comply.Angered with the denial, Sheikh Tajiuddin chose to flex muscle and set loose hundreds of his followers on the school. They stormed the school, shouting slogan against the teachers. The show off, in effect terrorised the teachers and the students alike and to avoid a confrontation with the demonstrators, the school authority decided to close down the school for summer vacation from 6 May instead of the official 9 May.“The demonstrators threatened us with dire consequences. Scared by their attitude and considering the security of the teachers and students, we had to declare the vacation. The school will resume on 26 May,” said Mr S Shome, principal of the school. A teacher of another school confirmed that political parties were approaching them to promote failed students in view of the panchayat polls.