Waris Fayaz
Sopore, Mar 16: Despite the education department’s initiative of a special enrollment drive at government schools, the upgraded government boys primary school is witnessing a grim situation as the school is functioning in two rooms only.
Established in 1985, the school functioning in the jurisdiction of Zone Dangerpora in Bomai Tehsil has only two rooms for six classes and has about 60 students, while the school building has already been declared unsafe in the year 2014.
A teacher pleading anonymity at the school told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) the school has three rooms, one for teachers and two for students. Also, the school has only two teachers. “We are facing an accommodation crunch and can’t give proper accommodation facilities to the students enrolled here, ” he said.
“The condition of the school is deplorable as the floors are damaged and windows and tables are broken”, he said. Adding that the building was already declared unsafe.
Iffat, a student said that the government only claims to provide the best quality education to students but you can see here what the quality education government is providing to us.
Due to the dilapidated condition of the school, the students are being forced to study under an open sky, said a local. “The issue has already been brought into the notice of concern in the school education department, but to no avail,” he said.
The school was recently upgraded as the students were merged to this primary school building, however, no additional building has been given to the school, said Ali Mohammed, another resident. ” It is the need of an hour for the school to be shifted as there lies every apprehension of any untoward as students’ lives are at risk due to shambles conditions of the said building”, Ali said.
The residents, however, further added that the school has no fencing of the vicinity and the nallah is approaching nearby, thus having apprehension of any untoward incident.
Zonal Educational Officer (ZEO), Dangerpora told KNO that he is not aware about the building being declared as unsafe. However, there is a provision of a new school building but due to land unavailability it could not be executed.
The ZEO added that the Tehsildar concerned was asked to demarcate the land for the construction of a school building.
Notably, the school education department has started a 10 days special enrollment drive, with the director pinning hopes of the highest number of new entrants in the government schools—(KNO)