No teachers, no future
Students of Government Senior Secondary School in Lamu village, located in the tribal region of Bharmour, staged a protest on Tuesday against the acute shortage of teaching staff in their school. The agitation began on campus and escalated to a road blockade on the Choli-Quarsi road, which was lifted in the afternoon.
The protest was triggered by the recent transfer of the school’s only lecturer—who taught political science and was the sole teacher posted there. With his departure, the school will be left with no teaching staff at all.
“The children, who are the future of this country, have been forced to take to the streets due to the government’s negligence,” said the local MLA from Bharmour. “It is heartbreaking to see young girls holding placards, demanding something as basic as teachers. This is a damning reflection of the state government’s indifference toward education in remote areas.”
The MLA further added, “As a representative of the people, I have raised this issue several times in the Assembly. I have demanded adequate staffing and infrastructure for schools in Bharmour, but the Congress government seems more focused on political games than on our children’s futures.”
Currently, only eight students remain in Classes XI and XII at the school, out of 19 who enrolled when the session began in April. Eleven students have already shifted to a neighbouring school in Holi village. When the senior classes were introduced five years ago, 32 students had enrolled—highlighting the steady decline due to persistent staff shortages.
Ashok Kumar, president of the School Management Committee, who joined the protest, said, “My children can’t study properly. Despite repeated requests to the Education Department, no teachers have been posted. Now, with the transfer of the only teacher, the school faces closure.”
Echoing the concern, Lamu village Sarpanch Lal Chand said, “The government must act immediately. The future of our children is at stake.”
The MLA warned that this protest should serve as a wake-up call. “If the government fails to act—by recruiting teachers, filling staff vacancies, and properly utilising the education budget—this movement will only grow. We demand immediate intervention from the Chief Minister to restore dignity and quality to education in Bharmour and across Himachal.”
Local residents have expressed deep worry that unless urgent steps are taken, more students will be forced to abandon their education or migrate, further isolating this remote tribal belt from mainstream development.
Himachal Tribune