Teacher dispute in Tamluk school forces 30 students to leave, school faces closure

Tamralipta Harijan Primary School, located in Tamluk city’s 8th ward, is facing a critical situation after an ongoing conflict between the headmistress and two assistant teachers led to nearly 30 student withdrawals. The school, which previously had 37 enrolled students, has seen a significant drop in attendance, with 30 students leaving the school in recent weeks. The conflict has disrupted the school's functioning, and despite several efforts to resolve the issue, it remains unresolved.

The conflict began after Barnali Mahesh joined the school as headmistress in August, following the retirement of former TIC Arti Das. Mahesh, who was transferred from the Bornoali Mahesh Thikuabazar circle, reportedly clashed with two long-standing assistant teachers—Priyanka Adhikari, who has been with the school since 2012, and Abhijit Mukhopadhyay, who joined in 2014. The tensions between the headmistress and the two assistant teachers escalated, with incidents including the locking of the school gates in November, which prevented the two teachers from entering the school. The headmistress allegedly took this action after her attempts to resolve the issues with the teachers were unsuccessful.

In response to the ongoing conflict, both assistant teachers approached the Block Education Inspector (SI) and the District Primary Education Council (DPSC), seeking intervention. Despite their efforts, the situation did not improve, and a hearing was held at the DPSC. However, no substantial resolution was reached, and the conflict persisted. The teachers have raised concerns over the lack of effective support from local authorities, claiming that their efforts to address the matter have not been adequately addressed.

The dispute has severely impacted the academic activities at the school, with students being unable to attend regular classes due to the ongoing tensions between the teaching staff. As a result, 30 students out of 37 have withdrawn from the school. The conflict has not only disrupted the learning environment but also caused a significant decline in student enrollment.

The District Primary Education Council Chairman, Habibur Rahman, acknowledged the issue and confirmed that the council had been working on resolving the matter. Rahman emphasized that the council had conducted hearings to try to mediate the situation. He also stated that if the issue is not resolved promptly, the council would be forced to take stricter measures to ensure the school’s future and smooth functioning. The ongoing situation leaves the future of Tamralipta Harijan Primary School uncertain.