ASHOK DAS, OP
Jenapur: Despite various measures taken by the Central and state governments to strengthen the education system, inadequate infrastructure and teacher shortages continue to affect teaching in several schools.
Government High School at Jenapur in Dharmasala block of Jajpur district is among the institutions grappling with staff shortages and other problems that are affecting students’ education.
Established in 1959, the school initially offered classes VIII to X. Classes I to VII were brought under its administration September 28, 2018, while Sishu Vatika (pre-primary) was introduced in the 2025-26 academic year. The school now has 574 students across 11 classes, from Sishu Vatika to Class X.
Of them, 118 are in Class IX and 127 in Class X.
Although the school has 14 teachers, the posts of Hindi, physical education, and computer teachers remain vacant.
A trained graduate teacher (TGT) in history, who was also in charge of the Scouts and Guides programme, has been deputed to a school at Banipitha in Dharamshala.
The shortage has affected classroom teaching and extracurricular activities, including Scouts and Guides, library services and physical education.
The absence of teachers has deprived students of opportunities to participate in these activities.
The school has adequate classrooms and drinking water facilities but lacks a dedicated kitchen for preparing mid-day meals.
Food is cooked in an old, dilapidated classroom, while students have to eat on the verandah.
Though the school has a boundary wall, its inadequate height allows stray cattle and anti-social elements to enter the premises, affecting hygiene and the learning environment.
The children’s park has not been properly maintained or upgraded, while the number of toilets is inadequate for the student population.
Students often have to wait during recess to use them. The playground is also in a neglected condition due to a lack of maintenance.
Panchasakha Shikhya Setu president Prafulla Das said the authorities concerned had been repeatedly informed about the problems, but no concrete action had been taken despite assurances.
School management committee president Subas Samal said there appeared to be little interest in resolving the issues facing the 67-year-old institution.
The teacher shortage had seriously affected classroom teaching, while the smart boards provided under the 5T initiative had stopped functioning.
He urged the Education Department to take immediate steps to address the issues. Former headmaster Chandrasekhar Swain said the school had received more than Rs 50 lakh under the 5T initiative.
The funds were used to repair and paint buildings, renovate an old structure to accommodate two smart classrooms, an e-library and a laboratory, and develop campus roads, a garden and a children’s park.
He added that more than Rs 1 crore had been spent under the Mo School Abhiyan to construct two smart classrooms, four toilets, a bicycle stand, an open-air auditorium and a garden.
Headmaster Nityananda Nayak, who recently joined the school, said he was focusing on improving teaching standards and maintaining discipline.
Filling seven vacant teaching posts would ensure that students’ education was not affected, he said.
Block Education Officer (BEO) Abhaya Kumar Behera said he was aware of the problems and had brought the teacher shortage to the notice of higher authorities. Recruitment would be undertaken soon, he added.