Schoolteachers take out a silent procession in Bhubaneswar on Monday to protest against attack on principal of DAV Public School, CDA, Cuttack. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 28: The four DAV schools of Bhubaneswar would reopen from Tuesday.

Teachers, who had boycotted classes in view of the alleged attack by parents on a DAV Cuttack principal last week, called off their agitation following an assurance from governor M.C. Bhandare that appropriate steps will be taken with regards to their demands for legal action against the attackers and safety on schools campuses.

DAV teachers of Cuttack will, however, continue to shun classes.

Earlier in the day, teachers from several English medium schools in the twin cities took out a rally here, demanding the arrest of those involved in the attack on principal of DAV-CDA, Cuttack, last Tuesday.

Since that incident, teachers of all 42 DAV schools in the state have boycotted classes and are demanding for a safe and secure campus environment. “We don’t want to stay at home and deny education to our students. But, when our safety has been compromised, how can we possibly go to school and expose ourselves to unruly parents, who abuse us verbally and physically?” said a teacher, who took part in the rally on Mahatma Gandhi Marg here.

The teachers alleged that a group of 100 to 150 people, mostly parents, who had been protesting against a three-fold fee hike effected by the DAV management last week victimised Ipsita Das, principal of DAV-CDA, Cuttack.

They said the parents forcibly entered the premises, ransacked school property and assaulted a few teachers.

“Then, they locked the principal in a room for over four hours, spat on her and abused her in the most filthy language. They hit her several times in the head and forced her to write a notice withdrawing the hike. Though five days have passed, no action has been initiated against the assailants. Our safety, security and dignity are at stake,” said DAV Unit-VIII principal Bhagyabati Nayak.

The teachers have also sought intervention of chief minister Naveen Patnaik and governor M.C. Bhandare in this stalemate with parents.

On the other hand, the disgruntled parents took classes for junior students outside the locked DAVs in the city this morning. They spread out mats and installed blackboards as the little ones learnt their lessons. “If teachers won’t come to school and fulfil their responsibility, we will ensure our children’s studies,” said Bhikari Charan Mohanty, general secretary of the DAV-Pokhariput Parents’ Association.

A parent said closing the schools and denying education to students was a violation of the Right to Education Act and appealed to the state government to intervene in the matter.

The parent also said the state government should take over the “illegal” management of the schools and introduce a legislation to regulate private English medium schools.