Kendrapada: Kendrapada Town High School, one of the district’s oldest educational institutions, is struggling with inadequate infrastructure, a shortage of teachers and staff and poor basic facilities despite its 163-year history.
The institution began as a Middle Vernacular School in Kendrapada in 1863 and was converted into the district’s first High English School in 1883.
Started under the patronage of Raja Brajasundar Deb of Aali, it is now known as Kendrapada Town High School.
Over the years, several eminent personalities, including Palli Kabi Nandakishore Bal, the first Odia Postmaster General Charan Das and the first Odia district magistrate Dayanidhi Das, have been associated with the institution.
Many doctors, scientists, engineers, lawyers, senior government officials and politicians have also studied.
Despite its legacy, students and parents say the school’s academic environment remains inadequate.
Unsafe classrooms, teacher and staff shortages, poor playground conditions and the absence of a proper boundary wall are among the major concerns.
The school currently has nearly 500 students from Classes VI to X. Of the 32 sanctioned teaching posts, only 16 are filled.
The institution is functioning with an in-charge headmistress instead of a regular headmaster, while posts of science teacher and senior clerk remain vacant. Classes are being conducted in eight rooms, three of which are in dilapidated asbestos-roofed structures.
Rainwater enters these classrooms, disrupting lessons. Five more classrooms above the main office have reportedly been declared unsafe for the past three years but have not yet been demolished.
The playground is another major concern. During the monsoon, 2 to 4 feet of water reportedly accumulates there because of inadequate drainage, making it unusable.
The low boundary wall also allows cattle to enter the campus. A HUDCO-built cyclone shelter on the premises has reportedly been left neglected and overgrown with vegetation. Snakes are frequently spotted there, residents said.
One of the school’s toilets also remains closed because of its poor condition.
Former student Prafulla Kumar Sahu, former municipal chairman Dhiren Sahu and councillor Pushpanjali Bastia said the school has been included under the PM SHRI scheme and in the heritage school list.
As a nodal school, it also hosts examination-related activities, workshops, training programmes, matriculation answer-script evaluation and competitive examinations.
In-charge headmistress Sukeshini Pradhan said memorandums had been submitted to the district education officer and district collector seeking measures to address the teacher shortage, improve the playground and demolish unsafe buildings. She said one toilet block remained closed, while the other was functional.
