Phulbani: Water woes, absence of a dining hall and poor infrastructure have made schooling difficult for children at Gochhapada Government Primary School in Kandhamal district raising concerns among students and parents.
Despite repeated appeals to education officials to address the prob lems, little action has been taken, residents said. The school, established in 1880, currently has 156 students from Shishu Vatika to Class V. The enrolment includes 37 students in Shishu Vatika, 42 in Class I, two in Class II, 27 in Class III, 21 in Class IV and 27 in Class V.
However, the school lacks safe drinking water facility, a designated dining area, and a playground. Several old classrooms are in an unsafe condition, while a damaged boundary wall poses risk to students. With no separate dining hall, children eat their midday meals either inside the unsafe building or on the verandah.
The school has eight toilets, including five old ones and three newly constructed units. However, all remain locked because of lack of water. Students reportedly carry water from elsewhere when they urgently need to use the toilets. The school has only one tube well, which supplies iron-contaminated water, making it unsuitable for drinking. The situation has further worsened after heavy rain caused the rear boundary wall to collapse.
Parents fear snakes and other reptiles could enter the school premises through the damaged section. The absence of a playground has also deprived students of adequate space for sports and outdoor activities. Headmaster Satyanarayan Ghatal said the main problem at the school is a lack of drinking water facilities. The water from the tube well is not suitable for drinking, while the motor of a borewell was stolen, he said.
Water is also not reaching the toilets because the pipeline connection is faulty. “Children would benefit if a boundary wall is built and proper pipeline connections are provided for drinking water and the toilets,” Ghatal said. School management committee president Ashesh Kumar Dehuri said students face considerable difficulty while eating during the rainy season.
They are forced to have their midday meals in an old classroom that is in a dilapidated and unsafe condition, he said. “There is always a risk. A new building should be constructed for students to have their meals,” Dehuri said.
Assistant teacher Kailash Chandra Kahnar said physical fitness is as important as education and the school timetable includes a period for sports. However, the school has no playground. “Despite the school being several decades old, the administration has not been able to provide land for a playground.
As a result, students are unable to play,” Kahnar said. Block Education Officer Binod Bihari Digal said the Block Development Officer is currently responsible for civil works at schools. A meeting was recently held to identify problems faced by schools, and officials have been instructed to submit complete details of the problems to the BDO. “The school problems will be addressed after the details are submitted,” Digal said.