Hyderabad: If girl students of Narayana government school have to attend nature's call, it’s almost an up to five-minute of torture as they have to ensure that nobody is in the vicinity. This is because the doors of the unhygienic bathrooms in the school are broken and latches are non-existent, quite literally.
"We tried asking for help several times but in vain. Sometimes we only clean the washrooms," said Anusha (name changed), a class 5 student.
Over 130 students of the school seek the government's attention for better facilities and infrastructure. They also complain about a dearth of academic books, and not having a playground and computers.
"We didn't even get our textbooks and uniforms for the year. We have no other option but to use the worn out dresses from years ago. Nothing feels new or exciting about the new academic year," said Pranay, a student.
The benches are broken in the corners and seats are uncomfortable, both of which are dangerous for the children. Even the blackboard is unfit for use, which is almost a wall that has faded. The place is not well-lit and stinks, with mosquitoes becoming a common nuisance. The path to the school is uneven and has garbage strewn along it.
The students have also been making desperate attempts to get what's their right.
"We just loiter during recess and PE period," said Ravi, a cricket enthusiast from 4th class.
"We hope they will resume karate or dance classes once a week at least to hone our skills," said another student Varsha M.
The students said they weren't excited about another holiday and genuinely hoped that the recent statewide bandh and dharnas would push the government to do its bit to make quality education a reality in their lives.
"There are only a handful of schools, from the close to 24,000 government schools across the state, which look decent enough. If they have to fight for their basic rights like washrooms, benches, books and uniforms, and recover from illness due to unhygienic conditions, when will they actually sit down to learn and study?" asked Dr Syed Vali Ullah Khadri, a student activist.
