The students of Mallikarjun Secondary School in Shailyashikhar Municipality of Darchula district have shut down the school demanding teachers. The students of the Milmili-based school say their studies have been hampered after the municipality removed contract-based teachers.

According to Ranjana Dhami, a tenth-grade student from the school, the students resorted to protest after multiple requests to fill up the vacant teaching posts were ignored.

“First, we were not provided with books. Now, even though half of the academic year has passed, we do not have an adequate number of teachers at the school,” Dhami added.

In May, four teachers and a child development assistant were removed from the school. However, the municipality made no effort to fill the vacant posts, complains Ram Singh Dhami, a guardian. “There are no subject-wise teachers at the school for the past 8 months. Our concerns have been overlooked even after repeated requests.”

After the local elections held in May this year, the new mayor decided not to extend the terms of the teachers employed on a contract basis. Abiding by the same decision, the contract-bound teachers were let-go-of from the school.

According to principal Birsingh Khati, the negligence from the authorities has resulted in a lack of teachers which has hampered the studies of the students.

The parents are concerned that the authorities have put the future of their children in grave danger.