Drunk headmaster leaves 35 students locked inside school in Odisha

A government school headmaster in Odisha’s Kendrapara district was suspended on Wednesday after he consumed alcohol during duty hours, locked the school’s entrance and fell asleep, leaving nearly 35 students trapped inside.

Sunakar Nayak, headmaster of Ambura Government Primary School under Kurujanga Gram Panchayat in Derabish block, locked the main gate of the school on Tuesday while students of Classes I to V were inside. The frightened children raised an alarm, following which residents rushed to the school and rescued them by unlocking the gate.

The incident triggered outrage among parents and guardians after photographs and details of the alleged misconduct went viral on social media. They demanded stern action against the headmaster. Derabish Block Education Officer Madan Mohan Kar said the allegations were substantiated during a departmental inquiry. Such conduct by a school head was highly unbecoming of a member of the teaching profession, he said. Nayak was subsequently suspended, Kar said. The school has around 35 students and two teachers. Nayak was reportedly the only teacher present on Tuesday as the other teacher was on leave.<>