Policemen volunteer to fill in as teachers in staff-short MP schools

The Hoshangabad district police in Madhya Pradesh will fill in as educators at government schools that face an acute shortage of teachers.

The police will do this on a voluntary basis, inspired by the Centre's Vidyanjali project that asked for volunteers at schools that lack teachers.

"The initiative has started and the show will go on full throttle. We will ensure students face no difficulties due to want of teachers," said Hoshangabad SP AP Singh, who studied at Delhi's Hansraj College and is a 2010 batch IPS officer, according to the Hindustan Times.

On Friday, Singh taught English and moral science to Class 10 students at SNG School of Excellence in Hoshangabad. His deputy, additional SP Shashank Garg, taught at another school.

However, the students had their police 'teachers' only for a few hours because of the custodial death of a suspect at the Seoni Malwa police station that required all police officers to be on the spot.

A team of about 90 police officials from constables to additional SPs will teach students from classes 1 to 12 at 23 schools in district that are short of staff, between 8 am and 1 pm. All the policemen have volunteered to teach.

"The exercise will not only address the staff crunch but also help the country's future generation connect with the police easily and ally their apprehensions about the force. We'll be their teachers and friends in khaki who will help shape their academic future," said Singh.