VIZIANAGARAM: A Private dairy has come to the aid of about 28 students of a primary school in Vechalapu Vani Palem (V V Palem) in Lakkavarapukota mandal here after their dilapidated school building became a security risk after the recent rains. The teachers of V V Palem Primary School are now conducting classes for students of Standard I to V in a building belonging to Visakha Dairy. The teachers shifted the school with the help of village elders and the sarpanch.
The educational institution is functioning from the single-room building even as the State government has accorded priority to modernise school infrastructure under the Nadu-Nedu Scheme. The Mandal Educational Officer (MEO) said the school would be renovated during the second phase of the scheme. With all classes being conducted from a single room, teachers are having a tough time grabbing and retaining the attention of students, which have now started to affect the pupils’ academic performance.
“My son is unable to focus on his studies as there are no partitions for the classrooms. The dairy normally opened in the mornings and evenings to collect milk from farmers, but now they are keeping it open for the sake of the school,” Laxmi, a parent, told TNIE.
Though some students are attending private schools in neighbouring villages, most students of the primary school are from poor families. “We can’t afford a private school. I request the government to sanction a school building at the earliest,” another parent pleaded.
MEO CH. Kurmarao said the recent rains damaged the school building. “As a precautionary measure, we are running the school from a dairy building with the help of the local sarpanch, Choppa Demudu. We have listed the school to be included in the Nadu-Nedu phase-2. We will start the work soon. Schools for Nadi-Nedu phase-1 were selected based on the student strength,” he explained.