Khammam: Trees are the only shelter for around 6,000 students studying in 171 schools in Khammam district.
These kids are being taught under the open sky and trees due to lack of additional classrooms in these schools.
Officials had identified 245 rooms in dilapidated conditions and they were demolished after the authorities received government orders.
Though the education department has sent proposals for 336 additional rooms in 171 schools in 14 mandals in the district 18 months ago, no decision has been taken by the government thus far. In the first phase, only five buildings were sanctioned.
Tirumalayapalem mandal leads in terms of requirement of additional classrooms with 40 followed by Nelakondapalli with 39.
The situation is similar in schools in Khammam Rural and Urban, Mudigonda, Chintakani, Karepalli, Kamepalli, Wyra, Sattupalli, Tallada, Raghunathapalem, Vemsoor and Konigerla mandals.
Teachers, who are unable to provide classrooms, seat the kids in the open space or the verandahs of the school.
Obviously, classes will be disrupted when it rains. The kids are shunted inside the existing classrooms till the rain subsides. Efforts by parents to find a solution by taking the help of the respective MLAs have hit a blank wall.
P. Ananthaiah, a retired teacher in Mudigonda submitted a memorandum to the district collector mentioning the problem that arise due to lack of sufficient classrooms in the government primary, upper primary and high schools. “It’s not a trivial issue. The government should address it immediately. If the students dropout due to the situation, an entire generation will be affected,” he said.
Work on the buildings that were sanctioned in some schools is going on at a snail’s pace. The most common complaint from the contractors is regarding delay in payments and escalation of costs.
