KENDRAPARA: Over 50 students of government-run primary school staged a protest outside the collectorate on Wednesday demanding a safe building, adequate teachers and other infrastructure.The children dressed in uniforms were accompanied by their parents to the collectorate, about 20 km from their institution at Sanamanatia village under Kendrapara block. Raising slogans, they demanded appointment of more teachers in the 68-year-old school which functions from one-room classroom.
The children also brought to the notice of district administration the dilapidated condition of the school building and rampant irregularities in mid-day meal, which they have been deprived of for the last 18 days. The MDM is a major pushing factor for drawing students to government schools.
“Two rooms of the school building are in a dilapidated condition. More than 50 students are packed in one classroom like sardines as the other is used for office purpose. When it rains, water leaks through the roof, the iron rods of the ceiling are exposed and rusted leading to fears of the building crumbling down,” said Prakash Nayak, worried father of a student. Repeated pleas of the parents to the authorities concerned to repair the building and appoint teachers have fallen on deaf ears, he said.
On the other hand, staff shortage has also hampered the quality of education. Against the sanctioned teaching posts of five, only one teacher has been imparting lessons to students from Class I to V for more than a year.Susant Mallick, the teacher said “I face several problems in teaching the students of different classes. We rushed to the Collector’s office after the students sat on dharna.”
Additional Block Education Officer, Kendrapara, Bhagirathi Nanda said as the school has only one classroom it has been decided to shift the school to nearby Ramdas Sanskrit School. The department will soon appoint more teachers and the authorities have already granted `2.5 lakh to build a new school building. Construction work of the school will start soon.”