Students’ protest puts Jharkhand education system under scanner, Saryu Roy to hold ‘fact-finding’ seminar
PINAKI MAJUMDAR JAMSHEDPUR, September 4: With the recent student protests in Ranchi putting the spotlight on grievances within Jharkhand’s education system, Jamshedpur…
PINAKI MAJUMDAR
JAMSHEDPUR, September 4: With the recent student protests in Ranchi putting the spotlight on grievances within Jharkhand’s education system, Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy will convene a ‘Fact-Finding Seminar’ on September 6 to examine the issues behind the growing discontent among students.
The seminar, being organised jointly by Swarnarekha Kshetra Vikas Trust and Nature Foundation, will bring students involved in the recent protest together with university vice-chancellors, teachers and other stakeholders to understand the causes of their grievances and discuss possible corrective measures.
Roy said the objective was not merely to list shortcomings in the education sector but to identify the reasons behind them and explore practical solutions.
Protest-hit students invited to share grievances
Addressing mediapersons on Friday, Roy said some of the students who recently participated in the Ranchi protest had been invited to the seminar.
They will have an opportunity to explain their grievances, the circumstances that led them to take to the streets and what they expect from the government and education authorities.
Roy said hearing the students directly was important for understanding whether their discontent stemmed from isolated issues or reflected deeper systemic problems in the state’s education system.
The move comes at a time when student protests over recruitment examinations and other education-related issues have emerged as a significant political and administrative concern in Jharkhand.
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Three university VCs to join discussion
The seminar will also bring three university vice-chancellors together on one platform.
Those attending include Ranchi University Vice-Chancellor Prof Saroj Sharma, Vinoba Bhave University Vice-Chancellor Prof Chandrabhushan Sharma and Jharkhand University of Technology Vice-Chancellor Prof Dharmendra Kumar Singh.
Roy said the participation of senior academic administrators would help broaden the discussion beyond the immediate grievances of protesting students and examine structural issues affecting higher education.
Teacher deployment becomes another flashpoint
Another major issue to be discussed will be the deployment of teachers for non-academic government duties.
Roy expressed concern that teachers were being assigned responsibilities unrelated to classroom teaching, affecting their interaction with students and, consequently, the quality of education.
“Teachers are qualified and possess adequate knowledge of their subjects, but they are not being allowed to devote themselves fully to teaching,” Roy said.
He cited the deployment of teachers to district magistrate offices, the Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) and other government assignments.
Roy also referred to teachers being engaged in Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-related work for around three months. He said such prolonged deployment had reduced meaningful teacher-student interaction and contributed to a disconnect within the education system.
“We are in favour of changing this system and the manner in which teachers are being deployed for non-academic duties. This seminar is being organised precisely to deliberate on such issues,” he said.
School education, higher education on agenda
The programme will begin with registration from 9 am to 10 am, followed by the inaugural session from 10 am to 11 am.
The first technical session, from 11.15 am to 12.30 pm, will focus on primary and secondary education.
The second session, from 12.30 pm to 2 pm, will discuss higher education and student-youth discontent, placing the recent student movement within the broader context of education and employment-related concerns.
A teachers’ felicitation programme will be held after lunch, followed by the distribution of certificates to participants.
Roy said invitations had also been sent to schools to ensure wider participation in the deliberations.
The presence of three university vice-chancellors, along with students who took part in the recent protest, is expected to make the September 6 event a significant forum for examining both the immediate triggers and wider concerns surrounding Jharkhand’s student movement.
