NAGAPATTINAM: Parents of students studying at the Neelapadi Panchayat Union Primary School in Keezhvelur expressed concern over the long delay in construction of adequate classrooms, where there are only three classrooms for five grades of students.
Students of Classes I and II are clubbed together in a room, Class III students have a separate room, and Classes IV and V are clubbed together in a space shared with the Headmaster’s office.
Members of the School Management Committee (SMC) of Neelapadi Panchayat Union Primary School filed a petition to the District Collector P Akash on Monday, requesting him to sanction funds to build additional classrooms.
According to parents, the student strength has come down from 110 to 90 in the last two years due to this issue. “We have filed multiple petitions to multiple departments in the last four years and still got no response,” said Dhachayini S, leader of the SMC, holding copies of petitions filed.
“There are only three classes where different grades of students (roughly 90) are made to sit together. We are afraid if our kids will be learn anything as several teachers teach multiple subjects to different classes at the same time inside one room,” she said.
Rajathi (name changed), another SMC member, said the students eat food in tight spaces because of a lack of corridor space. “Our kids complain that there is a strong odour in the classrooms after lunch break,” she said. Speaking to TNIE, the collector said, “The issue will be looked into on priority.”
