No Cleaners to Do The Job, Teachers in Agra Are Cleaning Schools

Agra government teachers are cleaning schools on their own because of lack of sanitation workers.

It's almost the end of summer vacations across the country and school kids and teachers are gearing up for the second half of the academic year.

But the situation in some Agra schools is slightly different.

Instead of focusing on their syllabus, the basic education department’s primary school teachers have been pushed to clean the schools themselves, due to the lack of safai-karamcharis (sanitation workers). This was revealed in a Hindustan Times report.

There are many schools in Agra without cleaners and teachers are either cleaning the premises themselves or hiring private cleaners at their own expense

Suma Kumari, head teacher, Primary School (Boys) in North Vijay Nagar Colony to Hindustan Times.

Like other teachers, Suma, who is a head teacher has had no choice but to take matters in her own hands and clean classrooms. After all, filth on the premises may invite action, which the teachers would want to avoid at all costs.

Nidhi Srivastava, the only teacher in her school, has had to clean classrooms, using the help of her cook.

I unwillingly cleaned classrooms that were full of dust and waste material such as plastic bottles and polythene bags. So far, I have only been able to clean classrooms, After that I will focus on school premises.

Nidhi Srivastav, who has been cleaning classes since 25th June to Hindustan Times

Meanwhile, Rajeev Verma, who is the district secretary of The United Teachers Association (UTA) has said that “the officials concerned have been informed about the unavailability of cleaners in school.”