HYDERABAD: It has been noticed that students are increasingly losing interest in studies because the classrooms are crammed in a chaotic environment and there are hardly any facilities for them. Ironically, the worst case scenario is in primary schools, which actually should be the best as that is precisely where students get their first exposure to learning.
Deccan Chronicle has, on umpteen occasions, highlighted complaints of government school teachers who have to manage several students in a classroom. Some school buildings are also on the verge of collapse.
Two schools that have been functioning in a dilapidated condition are located in Fatehnagar and Balanagar.
Both schools have at least 75-100 class 1-5 students stuffed in a single classroom or two small rooms. There are no benches, drinking water or washroom facilities while only three teachers, including the headmaster, ‘run’ the school.
The mandal parishad primary school in Fathenagar will be demolished soon as large bits of plaster are peeling off and the wall of a classroom has collapsed. All the 76 students are now studying in a makeshift classroom in a nearby community hall.
A class V student said that lessons are taught for fourth and fifth class students simultaneously.
“We are hardly able to study anything,” she said.
Many teachers, requesting anonymity, said that they have had ‘multi-grade’ training and have been teaching the same way for 10 years. “The 22-year-old school is being demolished. Earlier, we only had two classrooms and now there is just one common hall. We are doping our bit despite the difficulties,” said a teacher.
Another teacher of the same school added that the government is very well aware of the situation but has been ignoring them. In fact the teachers have been asked to finish a target related to basic knowledge and not ask for any other facilities.
Almost 80 percent of the students are either from Bihar or Odisha. As hardly any of them speak Telugu, there is a language barrier.
They added that there is no government high school in Fatehnagar and the ‘Pardhi Basti’ people do not allow their children to go out of the community. The temporary school does not have washrooms and is located right opposite to the public toilet.
In Gautam Nagar Primary School in Balanagar students are stuffed in two small classrooms.
“Students are unable to study and find it difficult to sit without benches,” the teacher said.
