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200 students taught in 3 roomed unsafe school building in Kulgam village

ESS AHMAD. Dated: 7/17/2018 12:22:35 PM

KULGAM, July 16: Authorities might be claiming that the education sector remains their priority but the condition of the three roomed school building in remote Nandimarg village of southern Kulgam district clearly punctures the official claims.
The school was established in 1960 as primary school. After the introduction of Sarwa Shiksha Abhiyan, a central sponsored scheme meant for the universalisation of elementary education the school was upgraded as middle school. At least 200 students mostly from poor families are enrolled in the school. However 58 years later the school continues to function in the same dilapidated building putting question mark on the seriousness of the authorities in improving the education sector. Not only the building walls have developed wide cracks all around but the ceiling and the tin roof is also damaged.
The local question the wisdom of the authorities to make the students study in the unsafe building.
"The engineers have long back declared the building unsafe but the authorities so far have not taken any measures to renovate the building or sanction the new one for the school," a group of parents whose children study in the school told Kashmir Times.
The failure of the authorities to construct the new building for the school has left both the locals and teachers fuming. They accuse the authorities of putting the lives of their children at risk.
"The building has developed such wide cracks that it can collapse any time in case of a minor quake. Top officials of the department and even the local MLA Abdul Majid Paddar many a time visited the school and assured that the new building will be sanctioned soon but nothing was done," a staffer said on conditions of anonymity.
The authorities, he said, seem to be waiting for some major tragedy for sanctioning the new building for the school.
The condition of the building is not only posing threat to the lives of students but the space crunch , parents and teachers say, is badly affecting the studies of the students .
"Since the roll of the school is around 200 with eight classes and one can only imagine how they can be accommodated in just three rooms. The shortage of accommodation is forcing us to attend several classes in open on hot summer days," said another staffer. However in case of slight showers, he said, they have to accommodate all the eight classes in just three rooms. "In such a situation students cannot even bring out their books as the rain water straightway comes down on the floor of classrooms through damaged roof and ceiling," the teacher said.
Chief education officer, Kulgam, Bashir Ahmad when contacted said that they have recently shifted the school to a nearby building keeping in view the safety of students.
"Before the fall of the government the local MLA had visited the spot and on his directions we asked the teachers to shift to nearby building which does not belong to education department," CEO said.
Asked why the students are still studying there if the school has been shifted, CEO said, he is investigating it.
"The nearby building is also short of space. But the teachers have been strictly directed to shift to that building. I think students still teaching in the same unsafe building is the handiwork of teachers to highlight the issue. We are investigating the role of the staff," CEO said.
On why the department has failed to construct new building for the school if the same was declared nine years ago, CEO said that he has processed the case for sanction of new building. "The building for the school will be hopefully sanctioned soon," CEO said.