By BANCHHANIDHI DEY, OP
Baleshwar: Teaching has been severely affected at Government Upgraded Upper Primary School in Koilisahi village under Kuradiha panchayat of Sadar block in Baleswar district due to a shortage of classrooms, teachers and basic facilities.
Established in 1961, the 65-year-old institution continues to struggle with inadequate infrastructure, raising concerns over the safety and education of students. The school has only three classrooms and four teachers to cater to nine classes, from Sishu Vatika (kindergarten) to Class VIII. Students from Sishu Vatika to Class III are taught together in one room, while those in Classes IV and V share another.
Students of Classes VI and VII occupy the third classroom. With inadequate teaching staff, students often remain idle while teachers conduct lessons for other classes. The school has no boundary wall or playground. Its office building is in a dilapidated condition, with cracks in the walls. Two classrooms in an old building on the campus have also become unfit for use.
A multipurpose cyclone shelter within the premises is in a similarly poor condition and poses a potential safety hazard. A panchayat pond is located adjacent to the school, and the absence of a boundary wall has heightened concerns among parents about the safety of young children. During heavy rain and floods, water enters the school premises and kitchen, disrupting academic activities and creating unhygienic conditions.
The mid-day meal is prepared in an unsafe kitchen housed in a dilapidated structure with brick walls and an asbestos roof. The school has only one tubewell and one toilet and is yet to receive a computer. The concrete floors of the existing classrooms have also developed cracks. The deteriorating infrastructure has contributed to a decline in enrolment.
The school, which once had more than 300 students, now has 113 students in the 2026-27 academic year, nearly 90% of whom belong to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. Enrolment in Class VIII has been particularly affected.
While 15 students were enrolled in the class in 2025-26, all 22 students enrolled this academic year have obtained transfer certificates and moved to other schools, it is learnt. The school consequently has no Class VIII students. The Sishu Vatika section was introduced in 2024, further increasing the demand for classrooms and teachers.
School management committee president Sudam Barik said the shortage of classrooms and teachers had been brought to the notice of the MP, MLA and District Collector. He said the school had received no government grants in the past five years, except an annual composite grant of `50,000 from the department and `5 lakh from the panchayat fund in two instalments for boundary wall construction.
However, the wall remains incomplete along the side adjoining the pond due to a shortage of funds. Headmaster Manoranjan Das said no new teachers had been appointed for several years. Addressing the shortage of classrooms and teachers would significantly improve the academic environment, he added.
However, Sadar Block Education Officer Jagneswar Jena said the existing number of teachers was adequate in proportion to student enrolment. He said a proposal would be submitted for additional classrooms.
He also clarified that demolishing the abandoned cyclone shelter on the campus did not fall under the responsibility of the Education Department.