HYDERABAD: The most telling of Teachers’ Day tributes poured in two months early for a Telangana teacher when over half of the 250-odd students at his govt school shifted in droves to another school to which he had been transferred recently.
Such outpourings around J Srinivas (53) of the govt primary school at Ponakal village in Mancherial district’s Jannaram are a break from past agitations in which students locked up school gates when one of their favourite teachers was transferred.
“It is a rare thing. Students get attached to their teachers and feel emotional when they leave. However, students leaving to join the school where their teacher has been posted is unheard of,” district education officer S Yadaiah said.
In Ponakal, there was initially a surge of emotions with many of Srinivas’s students in tears when they heard of his transfer. He pleaded helplessness and, as a stickler for rules, insisted he had no option as an “order was an order”.
But few in the school expected what happened next. The students told their parents about Srinivas’ transfer and decided to go along with their teacher to his new govt school at Akkapelliguda.
Srinivas was transferred on July 1 and in the next two days, the parents of 133 of its 250-odd students (from Class 1 to 5) got their wards transferred to his new school posting – 3km away.
Srinivas himself appeared to play down the icon-like adoration for him. “It shows the trust the parents have in me. I merely did my duty of teaching their children to the best of my abilities. They loved my teaching. Since govt schools now have better facilities, I would urge parents to make use of them,” Srinivas said.
Locals recalled Srinivas’s contributions over the past 12 years, especially his role in boosting the strength of the school from 32 to 250 through his efforts and motivation.