Students take lessons sitting on floor for 16 months

CHANDPUR, Sept 05: Ahmedabad Government Primary School in Rajargaon of Hajiganj upazila has been facing an acute shortage of sitting arrangement for the past 16 months.
For want of the required number of benches, around 200 students of the school are forced to study sitting on the plastic mats spread on the floor in their classrooms.
Apart from this, academic activities at the school are being seriously hampered due to shortage of teachers. Only three teachers are taking classes in the school.
During a recent visit, this correspondent found the miserable conditions of the little learners.
Headmaster of the school Mahmudul Hasan Mostafa told the FE that the government officially gave the responsibility of constructing an academic building for the school to the authorities on 28 May, 2022. Since then, no furniture has been provided for smooth functioning of the school. As a result, over 200 students from the remote areas are facing difficulties in pursuing their education. Though 16 months have elapsed, no classroom facilities have reached the school, he added. For shortage of high and low benches, they are bound to sit on the floors in the classrooms. They cannot write properly too sitting on the floor, some little learners alleged.
Contacted, the headmaster and some guardians said they repeatedly contacted the higher authorities to provide the school with benches, but they paid no heed to their demand.
The school has only seven pairs of benches, said the assistant teachers adding that the other benches are worn out and not suitable for sitting.
A couple of guardians alleged that during last chilly winter days, the children had to sit on the floors and so most of the students were attacked with fever and cough.
The new one-storey academic building has four rooms only. One room is used for office work and the rest three rooms are used as classrooms.
Headmaster Mostafa said at least five classrooms and six teachers are immediately needed to smoothly run academic activities at the school.
Contacted, Hajiganj UZ Education Officer Mohammad Shah Jahan said due to unavailability of government fund to purchase furniture, the problem has become acute.
He, however, assured that he would try his best to arrange furniture and appoint new teachers for the school by contacting the higher authorities as soon as possible.
He hopes to provide necessary furniture to this school within the current fiscal year.