CHILDREN ARE STUDYING IN A DILAPIDATED BUILDING RISKING THEIR LIVES

CHILDREN ARE STUDYING IN A DILAPIDATED BUILDING RISKING THEIR LIVES

27-JULY-ENG 13

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-----------------------While on one hand the Bihar government claims to improve the education system in the state, to recruit teachers in schools and to strengthen the infrastructure, the ground reality seems to directly refute these claims. The latest example of this is the primary school in Fingi village adjacent to the Bihiya block headquarters, where children are forced to study risking their lives every day.

This primary school located in Fingi village is built for studies from first to fifth grade, but the school building has become so dilapidated that a major accident can happen at any time. There are only two hall-like rooms in the school, one of which has become completely dilapidated.

Falling plaster from the ceiling, large cracks in the walls and termite-infested floors are testimony to the fact that studying here is no less than a risk.

It has now become impossible to use the dilapidated first room. In such a situation, children are made to sit and taught in the second room. This room is now also being used as a classroom, teacher's office, and mid-day meal kitchen.

There is neither enough space, nor enough resources, but both teachers and children are adjusting themselves to this dangerous system in the compulsion of lighting the lamp of education.

When the team visited the school on Saturday, the scene was even more worrying. Out of a total of 42 enrolled children, only 10 to 12 children were present. Villagers say that they do not send their children to school deliberately, as they fear that the roof may collapse or the wall may break at any time.

According to government standards, 1 teacher is required for 40 students, whereas here a total of four teachers are deployed for 42 students - including three female and one male teacher.

This makes it clear that the number of teachers is sufficient, but due to the poor condition of the infrastructure, even they are not able to teach effectively.

When Block Education Officer Manoj Kumar was asked about this, he said, “The proposal for construction of school building has already been sent. There is a clear instruction from the government that priority should be given to those who are deprived of building construction. Where the number of teachers is high, they will also be transferred to other places.”

This school of Fingi village is a representative example of the condition of hundreds of government schools in Bihar. Here the question is not only of the dilapidated condition of the building, but also of the negligence of the government system, lack of resources, and indifference towards education.

When governments announce budgets of lakhs and crores, then why are such schools still in ruins? Will the lives of children continue to be at stake until some accident occurs?