TN: Classrooms locked at panchayat union school, kids forced to sit in corridor

TIRUCHY: The students of a panchayat union primary school were forced to remain outside their classrooms for around two hours after their teachers locked the rooms and joined the State-wide protest announced by their association on Tuesday. Later, the officials opened the doors and classes were conducted with the help of temporary teachers.

There are 127 students in Poovathur Panchayat Union Primary School near Orathanadu in Thanjavur, which has four government-appointed teachers and two appointed by the Parent-Teachers Association.

On Tuesday, the government teachers did not open the classrooms and instead went to attend the state-wide token strike organised by Tamil Nadu Elementary Teachers Organisation – Joint Action Council (TETO-JAC).

When the students reached the school, they found the classrooms locked and were forced to sit in the corridor outside. With no sign of the teachers even after two hours, the PTA members were alerted about the situation, and the information was passed on to the School Education Department.

Officials immediately came to the school and opened the classrooms using duplicate keys that were with the PTA, and the students were let in. Following this, the PTA-appointed teachers began taking classes.

When contacted, school headmistress Kannagi said she was on medical leave for the past 10 days and was not aware of the incident.