Educational programs in the damaged and dangerous school building!

Dhaka Times Desk Government priority in education sector is limited only on paper. Because in reality the picture is completely different. In reality, students are taking classes in dangerous or damaged buildings. Two such incidents were reported in Narail and Lakshmipur.

Education programs are running at the risk of life in Palpara Registered Primary School of Lohagara Upazila of Narail, a district in the southern region and Balashpur Government Primary School of Lakshmipur. The plaster of the roof of the dilapidated buildings of the two schools is falling off. Small accidents are constantly happening in it.

Narail

Teachers and students of Palpara Registered Private Primary School of Lohagara Upazila are risking their lives in a dilapidated building in Narail. And parents have to worry about sending their children to school. Despite repeated appeals to the concerned authorities to resolve the crisis, nothing has been done.

According to the concerned sources, the school has only one single floor building to continue the education and office work of the children. Of its four rooms, three are being used as classrooms and the other as office rooms. But the ceiling plasters of every room are falling off and still continuing. Besides, there are cracks in the roof beams, balcony pillars and walls. And the teachers have to do classes in between. Because of the risk, children have to keep an eye on the wall and ceiling as well as books and notebooks and blackboards in the classroom.

According to related sources, this school was built on 33 percent land in 1955. The current number of teachers in the school is three and students are 148.
- A single storied building was constructed in this school in 1993-94. Residents complain that during the construction of the building, the poor quality of the contractor's work has led to such a pitiful situation. The assistant teacher of the school, Rahima Khanam, said that often during the class, the roof tiles fall off.

Lakshmipur

87 students are risking their lives in two rooms of the remaining part of the collapsed building of Balashpur Government Primary School in Laxmipur Sadar Upazila from 9 am to 12:30 pm every day. At any moment, the roof and walls of these two rooms collapse and there is a risk of major loss of life. The upazila primary education officer assured that the building is in the process of construction, but there is no reflection of this in reality. Balashpur Government Primary School was established in 1920 in Bashikpur Union of Sadar Upazila, just 12 km away from the district town. The school is almost a hundred years old and the results of the school have been satisfactory in the fifth class final examination (PSC) from 2008 to 2011. The total number of students in the school is 260. Recently, the roof of two rooms of the old school building collapsed at night. At present three classes are arranged in one building, but due to lack of space, young students are being taught at the risk of life in two rooms of the remaining part of the dilapidated building. Apart from this, the students have to study sitting on the floor of the building due to lack of furniture.

If this is the condition of the school then will the young children receive education from here. We hope the authorities concerned will take necessary measures on an urgent basis.