JAGATSINGHPUR: Students of Patitapaban Government High School at Gobardhanpur have been attending classes at an Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) centre for the last eight months as the institution building is in a dilapidated condition. Believe it or not but it is true.
If that is not bizarre enough, the district administration had declared the school building unsafe over a decade back but classes were still being conducted there until recently. Gobardhanpur, where the school is located, comes under Kathakota panchayat of Kujang block.
The institution along with Gobardhanpur Dadhibaman Upper Primary School used to function from one campus since 1984 but was later separated after a new building came up in 1990. However, the super cyclone in 1999 dealt a body blow and school building was damaged. With assistance from Prime Minister Relief Fund, a new building cum cyclone shelter was built.
Meanwhile, student enrolment from Class VIII to X increased from 150 to 180 but the buildings became dilapidated over the years due to lack of maintenance and official negligence resulting it declared unfit for use in 2012.
Despite frequent requests by villagers, guardians and even local elected representatives, no steps were reportedly taken to repair the school building.As student strength decreased, management of the school committee resorted to conducting classes for Class VIII at the lone ANM centre at Gobardhanpur last year. The other two Classes - IX and X along with staff common room and office continue to operate from the damaged school building. This has been impacting delivery of both education and health services in the area.
“Both education and health services are hit due to this situation,” former sarpanch of Kathakota panchayat Mihir Ranjan Pattnaik said.A senior officer of the Health department said as the health centre at Gobardhanpur is acquired by the school management committee, no ANM stays there.
Contacted, headmaster of the high school Prasant Kumar Jena confirmed that class VIII students are taught at the local ANM centre while other classes operate from the old building. Earlier, the school had more than 150 students but now the strength is only 44 due to poor infrastructure, he added.