Dear officials, please don't be a fly on the wall!

The teachers of the government Mannavanur higher secondary school roll up their sleeves every morning to do a 'work' that has become part of their routine.

The government Mannavanur higher secondary school without a boundary wall. (Photo: EPS)

DINDIGUL: The teachers of the government Mannavanur higher secondary school roll up their sleeves every morning to do a 'work' that has become part of their routine. Fighting off a swam of flies, they remove the fresh cow dung off the school veranda. They have to hurry and finish cleaning the veranda before students arrive. "Do not blame the cows," they say, "the school does not have a compound wall to keep the poor bovines at bay."

At this government school near Kodaikanal, such problems have put down roots.

According to government record, the school was 'upgraded' from a high school to a higher secondary one in 2013. However, anyone beholding the school is likely to conclude that the institution does not deserve the more accustomed meanings of the word upgrade.

The school has 210 students (hailing from Mannavanur, Kilavarai, Koogal, and Poondy), but its old laboratory cannot support practical classes for higher secondary students. Science students are often taken to government Kodaikanal HSS  for practical classes, sources said.

Liquor bottles scattered on the campus; Girl’s toilet (Photo: EPS)

Basic facilities

"Outsiders often enter and litter the school campus," a student said; empty liquor bottles, scattered on the campus, drives home his point. While there are only two toilets for the entire bevy of girl students (88), boys have to run to open spaces to attend the nature's call; so much for all those drive against open defecation.

The noon-meal centre at the school can be used for anything but preparing food. The dimly-lit shed does not allow much sunshine to enter its interior but, lo and behold, lets in plenty of rainwater. The food grains, fortunately, have found shelter in headmaster's room.

Speaking to TNIE, a school teacher said that Mannavanur panchayat supplies water only twice a week. On the dearth of toilets, he said that government has sanctioned `2.60 lakh to construct two additional toilets and that the construction work would begin soon. He, however, agreed that even these were not enough. Speaking to TNIE Collector M Vijayalakshmi said that steps would be taken to solve the problems at the earliest.