Bageshwar: In a shocking incident, two government school teachers in Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar district were suspended after being found intoxicated during school hours. This incident has triggered outrage among parents and villagers, highlighting the dire state of education in remote hill areas.
Parents and villagers have accused the teachers of habitual negligence. “The teachers are always drunk, and they don’t teach the kids anything,” said a villager. As a result, many children refuse to attend school, forcing some to walk 6 km daily to the nearest Inter College in Leeti.
बागेश्वर-शराब के नशे में 2 शिक्षकों का वीडियो वायरल, डीएम ने वायरल वीडियो का लिया तत्काल संज्ञान
दोनों शिक्षकों को निलंबित करने के दिए निर्देश, कपकोट के उच्च प्राथमिक विद्यालय का मामला, शिक्षा के मंदिर में अराजकता बर्दाश्त नहीं#Bageshwar @PoliceBageshwar pic.twitter.com/xQp8o5fgvp
— भारत समाचार | Bharat Samachar (@bstvlive) February 10, 2025
This incident came to light during parents-teacher meet
The incident came to light on Monday during a scheduled parent-teacher meeting at Junior High School, Biruwa Bilona, in Hamti Kapri village, Kapkot block. Parents arrived to find headmaster Mahesh Gururani and assistant teacher Dheeraj Kumar heavily intoxicated and unable to speak properly. Frustrated by the repeated negligence, the villagers first called emergency services (112) and then recorded a video of the teachers, posting it online.
DM ordered the immediate suspension of the teachers
The footage quickly went viral, prompting swift action from authorities. District magistrate Ashish Bhatgain ordered the immediate suspension of the teachers and medical tests at the Shama Health Centre, the results of which are awaited. “The state of education in Uttarakhand’s remote villages is deteriorating,” said one of the parents. “We fought for teachers for this school, but we got this. Many families have already migrated from the village due to poor educational facilities, leaving just 140 villagers behind. If such behaviour is not checked, many others will have no choice but to move to other places to secure our children’s future.”
Headmaster continued his reckless behaviour even in this remote location
Education department officials revealed that the headmaster had previously been transferred due to similar complaints. However, instead of reforming, he continued his reckless behaviour even in this remote location. Block Education Officer Chakshushpati Awasthi assured that replacement teachers had been arranged to prevent any disruption to the education of the nine students currently enrolled in the school.
Quality of education remains abysmal despite teachers’ appointment
Residents recalled that only a few years ago, there were no teachers at all in the village. This forced parents to stage protests at the district headquarters to demand staff. Now, even with teachers appointed, villagers say the quality of education remains abysmal. “We wanted teachers who would educate our children, but instead, we got people who drink on the job,” said a villager, expressing the community’s frustration.
