A living testimony of official apathy

Srirangapatna:  When the State Government is harping on bettering the state of Government Schools, a Girls High School, a Higher Primary School and an Anganwadi Centre, ironically situated right in front of the office of the taluk Block Education Officer (BEO) are in a pitiable state crying for attention.

The High School has 64 students and 106 in the Primary School, the premises have plenty of tall shrubs with thorns and the dilapidated walls are threatening to come down any day. With a lot of bushes, the place obviously turn a haven for immoral activities after dusk. Construction debris is thrown beside the School and has become literally a public toilet with passers-by easing themselves at will. Swachh Bharat has nosedived here with none bothered about cleanliness.

The teachers of the said schools were said to have brought the problem to the notice of the higher-ups. With no response from the Government and no grants released, the taluk BEO is left a helpless spectator.

Anganwadi employees fear that the place could be infested with snakes and harmful insects threatening the lives of toddlers. They claim that officials and elected representatives have turned a blind eye to the problem which could also be sighted at many other schools in the taluk. The pity is that the schools lie in the heart of the town quite visible to tourists posing a dirty picture of the so called historical place.

The public obviously shun Government schools and are turning towards private schools even though they are expensive.

Speaking to SoM, BEO Rukhsana Nazneen contended that the schools were providing good education. She said that several letters have been written to the Education Department for repairing the building and cleaning the premises and added that a Municipal Council Member had assured to do the needful.

Social activist Kirangur Papu regretted that most of the Government institutions were in bad shape with unclean ambience and added that private schools have begun to mushroom even in rural areas. He condemned the nonchalance of officials concerned even in the field of education.