Nemda school building unsafe, Classes 1 to 4 held under a tree near Sironcha
Pupils of Classes 1 to 4 at the Zilla Parishad primary school in Nemda have studied in the open since July because the building is dilapidated.
Children at the Zilla Parishad primary school in Nemda village, under Jafrabad gram panchayat, 35 km from Sironcha headquarters, are studying in poor conditions. The school building has become dilapidated and dangerous. For this reason, young children in Classes 1 to 4 have been taught under a tree since July.
Whether it rains, shines or the weather changes, the children study in an open field. Cracks have appeared in the roof of the building and plaster has come off in many places. Damp, moss and water-leak stains are clearly visible on the roof.
Plaster has also peeled off the walls and the iron bars on the windows have rusted. Seating children inside the building could therefore be risky. Considering this danger, the teachers decided to seat the children outside.
It is said that the teachers have informed the education department concerned about the building's condition. A letter has also been written seeking to have the building written off. But no firm decision has been taken so far, so the children have to keep studying under the tree.
If it suddenly rains, the class breaks up. In the summer, rising temperatures are feared to raise concerns about the children's health. In both the monsoon and summer, their studies as well as their health could be affected.
Along with the lack of safe classrooms, vacant teaching posts are another challenge for rural education at the school. The children's education is caught in this double difficulty of too few classrooms and too few teachers. While there is much talk of modern and digital education, primary school children here do not even have a safe roof over their heads.
Parents and villagers are demanding that the school be inspected immediately and the building undergo a technical examination. They want a safe alternative arrangement for the children and administrative action to begin on constructing a new school building. Parents and villagers are now asking the administration when they will get a safe school.
