Smoking inside classroom, dancing shirtless; Students of school in Cachar turn Environment Day event into ruckus

A video has gone viral in social media that appropriately highlights the abysmal condition of the Government Schools in Cachar District. The video features a few students of Class IX and X who are dancing shirtless to party songs inside the classroom. Most of them are smoking cigarettes inside the premises without an iota of fear or responsibility.

This video was shot in Hatikal High School, Located in Sundari Part I. According to the Headmaster of the School, there was a programme organised on the occasion of the World Environment Day on June 5. “The event was over by 12:30 pm and following which all the guests left one after another. I stayed back along with another teacher and asked a few students to look after the arrangements. We deployed them to return the sound system and other items that were rented. Soon after deploying them to look after the work, me and my colleague left the school premises,” informs Headmaster of the School, Azmal Hussain Barbhuiya.

He adds “After five days, today, post the Friday Prayer, I saw the video on my phone. Realising that it was filmed in our school, by our students, we summoned the school captain and other students. We found out that the School Captain is involved in that act. Taking action against them, we have suspended nine students from the school. Accordingly, I have informed the senior management about the chain of events.”

What is worth noting here is that the Headmaster has no qualms in acknowledging the fact that he left the students alone in the class “deploying” them to return the rented items. Are they labourers or is it their duty to look after the premises? What if a student had chocked due to the smoke while dancing and died on the spot. None of the responsibilities rest with the Headmaster?

This callousness has remained the culture of this School since long and as a result, out of 87 students who took the High School Leaving Certificate Examination 2022, only 30 managed to pass. Nine of them secured second and 21 – third division. Not a single student could secure 60% marks. There are eight teachers in the school who are responsible for shaping the careers of the school-goers.