SFI, DYFI Begin Indefinite Stir Over Deteriorating Beed Schools

Beed: Demanding an immediate halt to school closures and mergers, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) launched an indefinite sit-in outside the Beed Zilla Parishad on Wednesday.

In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Beed Zilla Parishad, the organisations highlighted the deteriorating state of public education in the district and warned that rapid privatisation was pushing schooling beyond the reach of poor families.

“Education is a fundamental human right that must be accessible to students from every stratum of society. Children from the most marginalised sections rely on government institutions. As infrastructure and standards collapse, it is these underprivileged children who bear the brunt. A radical overhaul of Zilla Parishad schools is urgently needed,” the memorandum stated.

The organisations said inspections of several government schools in the district revealed alarming conditions requiring immediate administrative intervention.

The protesters submitted a charter of demands, including an immediate halt to the closure and merger of government schools, a review of previously closed or merged schools and a dedicated plan to revive them.

They also demanded urgent recruitment to fill vacant teaching posts, noting that several schools are being run by a single teacher. They sought at least one additional teacher for all such schools and creation of new posts based on student strength.

The organisations also demanded adequate recruitment of non-teaching staff across government schools.

They said the sit-in outside the district headquarters would continue indefinitely until the administration provides concrete assurances to safeguard rural public education.