Post News Network
Bhadrak, Sept 12: While government schools across the state are struggling with dismal student-teacher ratios, one school in Bhandaripokhari block of Bhadrak district is a unique case in itself. It has two teachers for as many students – an example of the unwieldy state of affairs of the primary education sector in the state.
The Lunipada Project Primary School in Patuli panchayat, apart from the two teachers and two students, also has two persons employed with it to serve midday meals to the children thus taking the overall strength of the school to six – including staff and students.
Situated at a stone’s throw away from the block headquarters, the school has only two Class-II students. There are no students for the other two classes and there is no information on where the other students have gone. Sources in the education department say the school should have been merged with a bigger school nearby long back as it is not prudent to keep a school running with only two students.
This is despite the government spending crores of rupees under schemes such as Sarva Sikhya Abhiyan (SSA) to boost primary education in the state. The case has also raised questions as to how such a situation has so far evaded the attention of the cluster resources centre coordinator (CRCC) and the block education officer.
As per records, the total number of students is shown to be 18. Villagers allege the school authorities are misappropriating MDM funds by inflating the strength of the students. Some villagers even went on to say that this has been brought to the notice of the block education officer several times but nothing has been done.
The guardians also complained that headmaster Prasanna Rath has been playing truant. This correspondent visited the school Friday to find only two students in the school while the headmaster was on leave.
Assistant teacher Mandakini Sethi was unable to produce the attendance register when requested, stating that the register was in the possession of headmaster Rath. Asked for his comments, block education officer Deepak Kumar Padhi said the matter will be probed and if necessary, the school will be merged with a nearby school.
Headmaster Rath was contacted over phone, and he said five students usually come to the school but only two had attended classes Friday.