Baripada: Primary education in some pockets of Mayurbhanj is in a shambles despite money in crores being spent for infrastructure and a host of schemes being launched for the schools sector. The sorry state of education is evident from the way the Maharajpur Project primary school in Baripada municipality is run.
The school functions from a thatched house with no wall. Both students and teachers sit on the ground. A total of 29 students – 15 in class-I and 14 in class-II – study in the school. Locals said the students’ strength could rise and more students could come to the school if the authorities make a provision for mid-day meal here.
According to reports, over 33 students of Ward-27 of Baripada municipality used to walk five miles through forests to reach the Laxmiposi primary school across Subarnarekha river.
Oriya daily Dharitri had carried a report on the plight of these students April 1, 2016. Taking note, then collector Rajesh Prabhakar Patil and then district project coordinator of SSA Digant Routray took immediate steps and started the primary school at the Maharajpur Anganwadi centre April 24 on a temporary basis.
After the summer vacation, there was a problem for accommodating Anganwadi kids and school kids at the same building. Then, Anganwadi worker Sabitri Tudu advised teacher Kamal Lochan Mahakud to make alternative arrangements for the school kids. Sabitri pointed out that the Angnawadi has 20 students who had to face accommodation problem when they were to share space with the school kids.
The teacher, with help from local councillor Sanjita Biswal and social activist Binod Kumar Behera and guardians set up a thatched house in June at another place. Since then, students have been studying there. Local people and a teacher said students find it difficult to sit on the ground in the absence of walls when it rains. “The school remains shut even when there’s a drizzle,” said the teacher. He also said that though a management committee for the school has been formed, a bank account has not been opened.
Locals say that at a time when the school and mass education department laid stress on strengthening primary education, its efforts have been ineffective in some respects in this tribal-dominated district.
Another problem is that many schools have already closed due to poor enrolment of students. Nine schools were closed in August 2015 for this reason while 13 were shut down in 2016. As a result, the department had to abandon school buildings made at a cost of crores. However, the department has been blamed for the miserable state of the schools, and there are complaints that the schools have not been set up at places where they are required. In some areas, schools are located far from villages and kids have to walk miles to reach there, it is alleged.
Locals residents like Purna Chandra Murmu and Kandan Marandi blamed the incompetence of the district administration for the sorry state of the school.
District coordinator of SSA(tribal education) Sapan Pruty said a fund provision has been made for the school. A building for the school will be constructed there by the next academic session, he said. PNN
