When the government is talking about universalisation of education, the students of a primary school in the Dakhanikurua village here are forced to study on the school’s verandah. Worse, there is just one teacher for 104 students.
Although the school has three small rooms for five classes, the teacher has to take the classes on the verandah to accommodate all the students at one go. The 57-year-old school had two teachers till June last year when one of them was transferred.
Even the post of headmaster has been lying vacant for the last five years reflecting on the education.
While parents of the students have been apprising the authorities concerned of the problem time and again, no steps have been taken yet. To compound the students’ woes, the tube-well on the school premises and lavatories are damaged.
“The rooms are too small to accommodate all the students. So I am forced to take classes on the verandah,” said Aruna Kar, the lone teacher. “The situation worsens during monsoon when classes are suspended,” she added.
Sarpanch Atish Ranjan Mandal said the school building was constructed under the Operation Black Board 15 years back and it has not been renovated since then.
District Inspector of Schools Krushna Chandra Majhi said steps would be taken to fill up the vacancies after Puja vacation.