Photo of thatched school creates flutter

Bengaluru: A photo, which was uploaded in various social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Facebook, by an unknown user few days ago and shared by thousands of users, including former law minister S Suresh Kumar, has put education department officials in a tizzy.

It all started with an unknown user uploading a photo, allegedly depicting the bad condition of a government primary school, located at Kattehole village in Hiriyur takuk of Chithradurga district. The photo showed students studying inside a thatched hut. This photo soon started trending on social media with thousands of users sharing it. Former law minister S Suresh Kumar also shared this school photo on Saturday and brought the issue to the notice of the Primary and Secondary Education Minister Kimmane Rathnakar.

However, the education department officials stationed there have a different version. When contacted, D. Hanumantharaya, Block Education Officer (BEO) Hiriyur, said the photo in circulation was taken in the year 2006-07. “The State government had sanctioned a primary school in Kattehole in 2006-07. This area is surrounded by thick forests. The school was sanctioned to provide education to the children of around 40 families living in this area.

The school started functioning in a temporary structure. But in the year 2007-08, state government sanctions Rs 4.5 lakh for the school building, but when we started the building works, the forest department raised objection. They even issued a notice,” he said. “Following this, education department dropped the building plan. But a permanent structure was later built, which included toilets and other facilities. The photo in circulation in the social media of 2006-07,” he explained.