Severe infrastructural issues have come to light in two schools in Odisha's Rourkela district.
According to a report by TNIE, one of the schools, situated in the urban area of Rourkela has about 100 students from Class I to Class VII bundled together due to a shortage of classrooms. The Government Upper Primary School in Block B of Koelnagar in Rourkela is also facing a shortage of teachers, TNIE reported.
The school has four classrooms in dilapidated condition, and five others on the brink of collapse, with concrete lumps falling off the roofs. Sources told TNIE that only 35 to 40 students from the vicinity and nearby slums attend the school. This means that a bulk of the Mid-Day Meals, which are supplied by the Akshay Patra Foundation go to waste.
The school, which was established in 1986, only has seven teachers, besides a physical trainer, and four of these teachers were appointed less than a year ago. However, locals told TNIE that the teachers are not bothered about the education of the students. While speaking to TNIE, the mother of a Class III student at the school complained that her child has not learned a single letter of the Odia alphabet. The lady, who is also a member of the School Management Committee also claimed that the school authorities asked her to arrange for private tuition for her child.
However, the Headmistress of the school, Seemashri Mishra has claimed that the school is "running smoothly." Speaking to TNIE, Mishra said that she had written to the higher authorities about infrastructure problems at the school, even though she evaded direct questions about the problems. Bisra block education officer Sarangadhar Bariha, who is in charge of Rourkela city told TNIE that a surprise visit would be conducted, and the details of the school records and the authenticity of the enrollments would be checked.
Woes reflect in rural school as well
A similar story plays out at the Government Upper Primary School at Barpali village of Duduga panchayat in Hemgir block, reported TNIE. About a year ago, four dilapidated classrooms were demolished for the construction of new ones but the work stopped midway. With three functional classrooms left for 138 students from Class I to VIII, the students enrolled in Class I to V are forced to attend classes at another school nearby.
In October, the villagers had put forth their grievance before the Sundargarh collector following which construction of the classrooms was expedited. Headmistress Umakanti Buda said 76 students from Class I to V and their teachers use classrooms at another school about 1.5 km away. Carrying mid-day meals for the students is an added trouble, she told TNIE.
