5 teachers suspended after 160 Bonda students left school

Five teachers, including the headmaster of a residential school for STs and SCs were suspended today after 160 students left the school accusing its authorities of mismanagement and misbehaviour at Bondaghati in Malkangiri district.
Headmaster Bholanath Majhi, assistant teachers S K Mahanta, N K Jena, H K Sahu, and N Muduli were placed under suspension with immediate effect following an inquiry, said District Welfare Officer (DWO) Santosh Kumar Rath, who is also in-charge of Bonda Development Project (BDP).
Senior officials including Project Administrator of Integrated Tribal Development Authority (ITDA), Ramakrushna Ganda and DWO were sent to the school at Mudulipada yesterday at the instruction of District Collector D Prashant Kumar Reddy to inquire into the matter, Ganda said.

The team was sent after 160 students belonging to Bonda tribe left the school since Thursday, Ganda and Rath said, adding, the team submitted its report on the basis of which action was taken against the teachers for negligence and they were also issued show cause notices.
The DWO said the officials during their visit to the area also convinced the parents of some students and ensured return of 60 of them to the school.
In an effort to ensure return of the 100 other students, four teams have been formed. The teams would visit the Bondaghati area and speak to the parents of the students to persuade them to send the pupils back, he said.

Following suspension of five out of nine teachers in the school, a senior teaching staff had been given the charge of headmaster and steps were being taken to fill the vacancy, he said.
The students had alleged maladministration by the headmaster and others and claimed that classes were not being held properly. When they complained, they were asked to keep quiet or leave, the students claimed, he said.