In a government school in the Surguja district of Chhattisgarh, teachers have taken on the responsibility of preparing mid-day meals as cooks strike for better wages and other demands. The photos of teachers cooking for the students have gone viral on social media, highlighting the ongoing disruption in the educational sector due to the absence of cooks. The strike has left schools in a predicament where teachers, who are already burdened with educational responsibilities, must divert their focus to meal preparation, adversely affecting the students’ learning environment.

The situation is particularly dire in the remote village of Argotit Tapta and other schools located in the Lakhanpur development block, where the absence of cooks has led to a directive from the education department mandating teachers to prepare meals. This leaves teachers questioning the allocation of their time and responsibilities, as they juggle the dual roles of educators and meal providers, raising concerns about the impact on students’ education. Teachers Rajesh Kumar Gautam from the Tapta Secondary School and Krishna from the Mudapara Primary School have voiced their frustration over the added pressure and the negative implication it has on their main duty of teaching.

As the strike persists, it underscores a significant issue within the educational framework in the region, exposing the reliance on cooks for a crucial aspect of student welfare. With teachers now stepping in to fulfill these roles, there is a pressing need for a resolution to the cooks’ strike to ensure that education returns to normalcy. This ongoing situation emphasizes the broader implications of teacher workload management and the necessity for adequate support staff in schools for fostering a conducive learning environment.