BENGALURU: More than 3,300 government schools in Karnataka are functioning in buildings that are more than 100 years old. They are deemed to be heritage schools, but the government has spent very little, only Rs 20 lakh, in restoration of these schools.
In 2018, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced in the state budget that these schools would be identified as heritage schools and funds would be set aside for their restoration.
Now, children in these schools are migrating to private schools, while teachers are being transferred to other schools.
Bengaluru alone has 155 such schools. Most of these are in a dilapidated condition, some have downed the shutters and others are crying for attention so that they don’t shut the doors for students who come from poor socio-economic backgrounds.
The famous Fort High School on KR Road in Chamrajpet is over 110 years old. The school building was restored by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) with private funding of more than Rs 2 crore.
‘Classes held in 4 rooms’
Government Urdu Primary School in Kalasipalya, functioning in a 150-year-old building, is in a dilapidated condition. A teacher who spoke to TNIE showed the broken ceiling and cracked walls in the classrooms. She said, “This was said to be an armoury during Tipu Sultan’s rule.
During the British Raj, it was converted into a girls’ school. It needs attention from the government. There are 10 classrooms and 80 kids studying here. But due to the bad ceiling, we conduct classes only in four rooms. When it pours during the monsoon, one of these rooms gets flooded.”
Syed Afsar Pasha, Secretary, Hind Citizens Welfare Trust, which adopted the school about 10 years ago, said, “We strengthened the school and 250 students enrolled from Classes to 7. We fixed the ceiling and added benches. We also deployed a school bus. But after Covid, there is no cooperation from the education department to extend the adoption period.
Hence, the school is in shambles.” Poineercherry Government Tamil Higher Primary School on Cockburn Road in Shivajinagar has been taken over by hoodlums. There is no trace of students or teachers in this building. Residents living around the school say it pains to see the school turned into a dungeon because of the negligence of the education department.
Government Rahmania Model Urdu Boys School on Thimmaiah Road is a stone building built in 1928. In two years, it will touch 100 years. There are 72 students from LKG to Class 7 and it consists of six rooms, including the staff and office room.