Bhubaneswar: Sudhanshubala Jena, a teacher at Jayanti High School Devi Girls in Kantabada in Khurda Regency, suffering from lung cancer.
Jena, 44, who has taught at this school for the past 22 years, cannot continue its care due to financial constraints.
Jena is one of the 2,200 teachers and employees of 177 non-messy government schools, which are recognized, who have carried out their tasks without a salary for several years.
Living amid serious financial constraints and struggling through the challenges caused by Covid-19, these teachers currently held protests demanding grants from the government.
Sources said these schools were established in rural areas by local political and social leaders in the 90s.
There are around 547 schools like that where 370 received recognition and was chosen for providing assistance by the government after the fulfillment of the norms needed.
However, 177 schools were abandoned.
“Teachers in these schools have worked without stopping in hopes and for the sake of their love to teach.
Despite facing serious financial and infrastructure challenges, this quality and trained teacher continues their work.
Six teachers died of Covid but their families did not Getting support from the government, “said Pankaj Parida, a nervous teacher.
Parida said the income of many teachers, who managed by taking college, stopped after Covid crashed into.
Some have sold vegetables and run small shops to manage family expenses, but they have not given up teaching.
177 This school has fulfilled all the criteria needed to get Grant-in-Aid since 2018 but because of the negligence of the government’s authority they have not received funds, one of the teachers said.
“Not only the teachers suffer, but more than 10,000 students in these schools are being seized from benefits such as lunch, free textbooks, and other infrastructure support,” others said.