VISAKHAPATNAM: More than 55 children in Gondivalasa village under Gasaba panchayat in Dumbriguda mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju district are spending their school days on the verandas of houses and under trees, as the village has no school building despite having a teacher for Classes I to VI.
The lack of a permanent classroom has left children studying in the open, with lessons frequently interrupted by rain and the absence of even basic teaching facilities such as desks, chairs and a blackboard.
“Classes stop whenever it rains. We cannot learn properly because there is no blackboard, and even if one is provided, there is no place to install it,” students said. Children also pointed out that lessons conducted on house verandas are often disrupted by household activities and conversations, making it difficult to concentrate.
Teacher C Krishna Rao recalled that a school building had been sanctioned under the Nadu-Nedu programme during the previous YSRCP government’s tenure following efforts by his predecessor. However, the project did not progress as funds were not released.
“I have brought the issue to the notice of the authorities several times. An Assistant Tribal Welfare Officer also visited the village to inspect the site. But the building is yet to come up. If it rains, it becomes impossible to conduct classes,” he explained.
For many parents, the lack of infrastructure has become both an educational and financial burden. Some have enrolled their children in private schools in neighbouring villages despite struggling to meet the expenses.
“Our children are studying in the open. We want the authorities to provide a proper school building and basic facilities. I had to admit my children to a private school because there is no school here, but paying the fees is becoming difficult,” said villager V Venkat.
Parents have also urged the education and tribal welfare departments to monitor the functioning of the school regularly and ensure uninterrupted classes.
For the children of Gondivalasa, attending school has become an exercise in adapting to the weather and available space rather than learning in a classroom.
Villagers have appealed to the authorities to complete the long-pending school building and provide the basic facilities needed for the children.
