BHADRAK: High school education in Bhadrak district is dogged by problems, the State Government’s apathy topping the list. The problems include absence of teachers, proper school building and other facilities. Orissa State Teachers Association (OSTA) is planning to stage a demonstration and storm the collectorate on July 24 to draw the attention of the administration to the deplorable state of affairs.
There are 306 high schools, including 170 of government, 32 aided, 16 Sanskrit institutions, eight madrasas, two Certified Training (CT) schools and one Tribal Welfare Residential School (TRW). While over 200 schools lack infrastructure facilities, 130 are without an headmaster. The post of Circle Inspector (CI) of schools is lying vacant for the last seven months.
According to official sources, the school buildings in 32-odd cases are incomplete. If the members of OSTA are to be believed, as many as 200 schools face space crunch and are unable to accommodate all the students. While some buildings are unsafe, others are without walls and proper roof. Most of the schools do not have labs and playgrounds.
While one would still be able to continue education without proper building structure and other facilities, the absence of teachers is a major spoiler.
According to Pranab Sahoo, OSTA president, as many as 570 posts, including 530 trained graduate (TG) posts, are lying vacant. While only 130 schools have in-charge headmasters, peons take up the teachers’ role in some schools. “With four teacher posts lying vacant, I have no choice but to allow the peon to take literature classes,” said Basudev Das, headmaster, Napanga High School.
Most of schools have no library and those with one are without books. The book banks are empty, as the Government has stopped supplying books since 2000. This impacts the studies of poor students who get books on subsidy.
The problem does not end here. Over 30 per cent schools are without a science section. Schools with a science section are no better, as they have to do without labs and apparatus. They are also without proper playgrounds and lack sports equipment.
The condition of schools in the interior areas of Chandbali, Basudevpur, Bhandaripokhari and Tihidi blocks is worse without electricity and water supply. Labs too are missing in many schools.
KC Majhi, in-charge CI, admits to the serious problem of teachers in the district. A list of vacancies and schools without buildings has been forwarded to the State Government, he said.