Rundown pry school building a safety concern for children

KHULNA, May 29: The ramshackle tin-shed building of Aruwabarni Government Primary School in Chitalmari upazila of Bagerhat district is running amid an extremely risky condition.

The cracked ceiling and fractured roof and plasters falling off the walls have become a cause of terrible panic for teachers, students and guardians as well.

In such a situation, the tender-aged children are attending classes regularly risking their lives.

Fifth and second graders of the school said that they have to sit in classes every day amid constant fear. Even if it rains a little, water seeps through the tin sheets and wets their books.

Plasters from the cracked roof sometimes fall on them, causing injuries. As a result, many times, parents do not dare to send their children to school when the sky appears cloudy.

Assistant teachers of the school, Sultana Parveen and Lopa Rani Mondal, said on the one hand, there is a shortage of classrooms, and on the other hand, the building is very shaky. Consequently, students are having to attend classes in crowded condition, which hampers the learning process.

Headmaster Muhammad Ferdous Hossain said there are currently 226 students studying in the school.

Two rooms of the four-room building are used for teaching, while one room is used as office room and another as storeroom.

He said, "Despite repeated written requests, no remedy has been found. The authorities have limited themselves to assurances."

The primary school which had been established in 1952 was nationalised in 1973. The present building, which was constructed in 1989, has assumed the bad shape for want of maintenance work for long and sustained structural damage, cracks, or a change in its original form.

Newer cracks appearing in walls and beams, ceiling sagging and plasters falling off the roof are now everyday scenes.

Guardians Shaha Alam Daria and Rahmat Molla said they have to remain worried all the time after sending their children to school.

The school building can meet a major accident at any time. However, the building has not yet been declared abandoned, they lamented.

Out of the nine sanctioned posts of teachers, eight are currently working in the school while the rest one is serving elsewhere on deputation.

In addition to the teacher shortage, inadequate classrooms and risky building are badly impacting the teachers and students.

In this regard, Chitalmari Upazila Education Officer Achyutananda Das said, "I am aware of the risky condition of the school building. Written requests over the issue have been sent from the headmaster. Appropriate measures will be taken accordingly after discussing the matter with the higher authorities."

Teachers and students of the school and guardians have strongly demanded that a new building be constructed as soon as possible in place of the old one, taking safety issue of the tender-aged students into account.

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