By Rabindra Prasad Dani, OP
Jamankira: Despite tall claims of development of education and transformation of schools, the ground reality presents a different picture at Kenadhipa Upgraded High School and Higher Secondary School in Jamankira block of Sambalpur district.
Established in 1969, the school has been struggling with inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of teachers. The work carried out under the 5T school transformation programme appears to have done little to address the basic deficiencies, including shortage of classrooms and absence of drinking water and toilet facilities.
Students are forced to attend classes under damaged ceilings, while there are no teachers for the primary sections. A total of 324 students from Class I through XII study in 13 classes at the school. Among them, 77 students stay in the school hostel.
While at least 13 separate classrooms are required for them, the school has only seven. As a result, students of multiple classes are forced to share a single room. The situation becomes particularly difficult during summer as the classrooms have low tin roofs, leaving them unbearably hot for students and teachers.
During the rainy season, water leaks in all the classrooms, leaving the walls damp and damaged. Ceilings of some of the classrooms have collapsed, while many are in a dangerous condition and could give way at any time, posing a serious threat to the lives of students.
According to official records, 17 teachers, including the headmaster, are posted at the school. However, there is not a single teacher for Classes I to V, which form the foundation of a child’s education. Similarly, only two female teachers are available for Classes VI to VIII.
Due to a shortage of classrooms and teachers, younger students are forced to sit on mats spread on the floor and attend classes in difficult conditions. Basic facilities at the school are also in poor condition. The door of the girls’ toilet is broken and the facility has become unusable due to poor sanitation.
Students also face an acute shortage of drinking water. The school kitchen, meant to cater to a large number of students, is in an unhygienic condition, making it difficult to prepare midday meals. The protective wall around the school premises has been damaged, increasing the risk of nuisance by anti-social elements.
The school campus is also littered with garbage. School management committee president Balaram Majhi and vice-president Annapurna Bhatt expressed concern over the condition of the school. They said the Block Education Officer (BEO) and District Education Officer (DEO) had repeatedly been informed about the problems orally and in writing, but no action had been taken so far.
Headmaster Subhranshu Panda also expressed concern that the problems were affecting students’ education. When contacted, Jamankira Assistant Block Education Officer (ABEO) Debaki Naik and Sambalpur DEO Laxman Kumar Bhoi said the department was aware of the school’s problems.
They said all infrastructure-related issues, including construction of additional classrooms; repair of the toilet and other infrastructure, would be addressed soon under the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB-G RAM G) scheme. They also said steps would be taken to fill the teacher vacancies.