Kids study in unhygienic, unsafe conditions

PRAMOD KUMAR NAYAK, OP

Jagatsinghpur: Education is not limited to classroom instruction. Providing children with a safe and healthy learning environment is equally important. While the government has repeatedly said education is a priority and has invested in infrastructure and facilities, as well as paying higher salaries to teachers at government schools, conditions at Lalasahi Government Primary School in this district headquarters call those claims into question. Poorly maintained toilets, damaged windows, low verandah walls and a deteriorating building have raised concerns about students’ safety.

Established in 1955, the school provides education from Shishu Vatika (kindergarten) through Class V and has 64 students, according to school authorities. However, students are being taught in what parents and residents describe as an unhygienic environment.

The school does not have a dedicated source of safe drinking water. Water supplied by the Public Health department is stored in a school tank and made available to students through taps. The tank, however, reportedly has not been cleaned for a long time, raising concerns about the quality and safety of the water consumed by the children. The condition of the school’s toilets and urinals is also a concern.

Some urinals have reportedly been abandoned, while the available toilet facilities are in poor condition, with a foul smell making it difficult for students to use them safely and hygienically. While entering the school’s two-story main building, there is a toilet and urinal for girls on the left. The two small concrete structures are in an abandoned and poorly maintained condition.

A foul smell emanates from them when the doors are opened. Mud and dirt have accumulated on the floors, while stagnant, dirty water remains in the toilet pans because of inadequate drainage. Another toilet and urinal for girls is located on the southern side of the school. Plants have grown through the walls of the urinal, which are also covered with moss. The building on the left side of the school has also fallen into disrepair. Bricks have been piled up on the verandah, raising concerns that snakes and other poisonous creatures could take shelter there.

Two classrooms are located on the upper floor, but their windows are in a dangerous condition. The gaps between the window bars are wide enough for a child to get his or her head stuck. The verandah walls are also too low, creating a risk of children falling while playing. Rainwater enters both verandahs during downpours. The stairs leading to the upper floor are covered with moss, increasing the risk of slips and falls. The area where students eat their midday meals on the ground floor is also reportedly in poor condition. Parent Prabhati Singh said the condition of the school’s toilets was so poor that her daughter avoids using them for fear of infection. She also alleged that recently distributed school bags were too small, torn and had defective zippers, making them unsuitable for carrying books and notebooks. She said she and another parent returned the bags. Headmaster Sheikh Mansaf Ali said three teachers are currently teaching students in three classrooms. He said the existing window bars would be removed and new grills installed. The abandoned toilets and urinals will be demolished and replaced with new facilities, while grills will also be installed along the verandahs because their walls are too low. Ali said the Jagatsinghpur MLA has assured the school of providing funds for the required work.