By PRASANT KUMAR BARIK, OP
Sakhigopal: An institution where Utkalamani Pandit Gopabandhu Das once dreamed of building a generation of responsible citizens by imparting lessons in education, labour, discipline, service, self-reliance and patriotism is now struggling to preserve its own existence.
The historic Satyabadi High School, which evolved from a Vana Vidyalaya, was established as Satyabadi High School August 12, 1909. The 117-year-old institution now has a dilapidated old building, deteriorating memorial structures and classrooms declared unsafe.
Five classrooms have been locked because of their hazardous condition. Even classrooms created under a smart-school transformation project at a cost of about Rs 60 lakh have also become unusable. The school once had more than 800 students. However, its enrolment has fallen to 389, from Sishu Vatika to Class X, amid concerns over inadequate infrastructure and the lack of a conducive learning environment.
Of the 14 teachers, 12 teach at the high school level and two at the primary level. Posts for science and Hindi teachers remain vacant. The shortage of classrooms is a major concern. Five of the school’s 14 classrooms are unsafe and remain unused. The library roof is damaged, allowing rainwater to leak inside during the monsoon and damage books and furniture. The school has two toilets, but only one is functional, while the other remains incomplete.
During the previous government, some classrooms in the old building were converted into smart classrooms, a smart science room and a smart library at a cost of about Rs 60 lakh. However, within about six months of their inauguration, plaster began falling from the ceilings in some areas, while rainwater entered other rooms and damaged science equipment.
The campus also lacks a proper boundary wall, allowing stray cattle to enter and damage the premises. Headmistress Amita Senapati said teaching was continuing properly, but the school’s infrastructure needed improvement.
She said the school had received only Rs 2.5 lakh for repairs during the past five years and no other grant. Pranab Kumar Mishra, an alumnus and retired head master, said the school’s historic significance should be preserved while it is comprehensively developed to meet the requirements of modern education.
School Management Committee President Satya Narayan Mishra said it was unfortunate that the 117-year-old heritage school still lacked basic facilities. The school does not have adequate drinking water facilities or a suitable space for preparing and serving mid-day meals. Inadequate hand-washing facilities are also causing problems for students, he said.
The school also needs two more teachers, Mishra said. He urged the state government and the concerned department to address the shortage of basic infrastructure and teachers permanently and restore the heritage institution’s former glory.
District Education Officer (DEO) Dipak Kumar Padhi said the school has been included under the Heritage School and PM SHRI School initiatives. Steps were being taken at the government level to preserve the school’s heritage while making its academic activities more effective, he said.