CHENNAI: A for allergy, D for dust and G for godown - the fundamentals have turned a bit quirky for the class five students of Chinmaya Vidyalaya school at Kilpauk who are forced to sit in poorly illuminated godowns with no facilities due to the ongoing renovation work in the school. “A month ago, my child complained that his class has been shifted to a warehouse and the dust is choking him. After repeated issues put forth for a couple of weeks, I approached the school authorities who said they shifted the class as they are constructing a new building for students in the primary section,” said a parent on condition of anonymity.
The children complained that the classrooms are poorly ventilated and they receive inadequate fresh air. One of the kids said, “We cannot see the blackboard clearly and the teachers ask anybody who has an issue, to sit in the front. In a classroom like this, only students in the first row can see the board.” It is alleged that an asthma patient complained of suffocation and the teacher advised the kid to stand next to the tiny ventilator to get fresh air. However, it did not help the cause.
To the dismay of students, they will have to sit in the shabby classrooms for this academic year, as the construction will take a year. Parents rue that the kids can be seated in playgrounds or open spaces instead of warehouses. When questioned about it, principal C. Sathiyamoorthy said about 20 parents checked the room after it was shifted and did not raise any objection. On their request, drinking water was provided outside the classroom and there are two ventilators on the either sides.
However, Deccan Chronicle reporter was denied permission to inspect the classroom. When contacted, a government official exuded confidence that the issue will be taken up and he would ask authorities to conduct inspection immediately.
