Telangana government school turns into dump yard, kids eat in filth

Tucked a few kilometres away from the bustling Begumpet is this government school where the students have to sit amidst filth to eat their midday meal.

With no space to eat, schoolchildren consume their midday meal in their classroom at Rasoolpura government high school (EPS | Vinay Madapu)

HYDERABAD: Tucked a few kilometres away from the bustling  Begumpet is this government school where the students have to sit amidst filth to eat their midday meal. The school has turned into a dumpyard for construction debris with no access to toilet and drinking water facilities. While the school education department denies the existence of pathetic conditions at the school, over 500 children have to struggle on a daily basis. Unlike many government schools in city which do not have enough students, Rasoolpura primary and high school has a strength of 580 students. However, the government does not seem to be responsible to cater to the basic needs of the children. 

The school has just 80-odd plates for 580 children, many of whom share plates during lunch. It does not even have an Asha worker to serve midday meals to the children. As a result, students are forced to serve food for themselves. Shockingly, the students are forced to sit in dusty and filthy surrounding during lunch as the school has become an open space for illegal dumping of construction debris. The school had even discontinued morning prayers with increase in illegal dumping on its premises.  

Construction debris dumped in front of Rasoolpura
government high school in city (EPS | Sayantan Ghosh)

Moreover, the school’s playground has been encroached upon by the locals to build a community hall.  Children in this school do not even get clean drinking water to quench their thirst and are dependent on borewell water. Moreover, the school does not even have a toilet.  While speaking to headmaster of the school, I Sarah Mani, said, “We complained about the issues to Hyderabad district education officer but no action has been taken yet. An NGO has come forward to sponsor funds to construct toilets in the school. We are trying to pay money and get the construction debris dumped in the school removed.” 

B Venkata Narasamma, Hyderabad District Education Officer(DEO) said, “We have not received any complaints from the school. We will visit the school once and see what their requirements are. Government does not provide plates to students for midday meals and students should get their own plates.”