Jharigaon: Despite government prioritisation of quality education, students in tribal-dominated areas continue to face severe challenges due to inadequate infrastructure. At Phupugaon Government Upper Secondary School in Jharigaon block of Nabarangpur district, a shortage of classrooms has forced students to attend lessons in dilapidated dormitory rooms.
The school accommodates students from pre-primary up to Class X, with a total enrolment of 509. While there are seven teachers for primary classes and six for high school students, insufficient classrooms mean that students from Class V to Class X are crowded into just four classrooms. Classes for seventh and eighth grades are being conducted in a single room, resulting in significant learning difficulties for students. Sanitation and residential facilities are also in poor condition. The school’s hostel, housing 120 students, has only two functional rooms, and all toilets are non-operational.
Students are forced to use open areas or nearby fields for relief. Earlier this week, a student in the sixth grade, Krushna Bhatra, suffered a head injury after falling due to broken tiles in the hostel. Local stakeholders have demanded urgent action, including construction of additional classrooms, repair of hostel and sanitation facilities, provision of safe drinking water, and appointment of permanent headmasters and physical education teachers.
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