Class 10 students of the Zilla Parishad Girls' High School in Telangana's Bayyaram staged a protest on Thursday, demanding the appointment of a Social Studies teacher and basic facilities at the school.
The students boycotted classes and staged a demonstration near the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Gandhi Centre.
The protesting students alleged that the school has been facing a shortage of Social Studies teachers for several years, with local reports putting the vacancy period at between two and four years.
The students said the problem has become particularly serious for the current Class 10 batch, with roughly four months of the academic year having passed without regular Social Studies classes.
One student said, "I am studying in Class 10. Our school does not have a Social Studies teacher, and it has been four months. So far, not even a single part of the syllabus has been covered."
Another student appealed to the district education authorities, saying, "We have very few teachers, with some teachers handling different subjects and extra classes. Since the Social Studies teacher has been absent for four months, we are worried about our examinations."
The students also raised concerns about the lack of basic facilities. They alleged that the school does not have an adequate water supply, proper toilets or a playground, adding to their difficulties.
"Our school does not have proper Social Studies classes, water supply, and food facilities. We request the DEO sir to take action," another student said.
The students questioned how they would prepare for the Class 10 Social Studies examination without a subject teacher and warned that they would continue their protest until a teacher was appointed.
The agitation also led to a heated exchange between some parents and school teachers. The protest was finally called off after the District Education Officer assured the students that a Social Studies teacher would be appointed within two to three days.
