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| School calls for help | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Vaibhavi Chandel
Jammu Feb 23: Where the government talks about Sarv Shiksh Abhiyan, acquiring education is a risky business at High School Galak A silent prayer escapes their lips whenever the sky is overcast and again it is a new lease of life for them when they return home as the school building may collapse anytime.
Though the dilapidated structures and the leaky roofs are the fate of many schools in district Kathua, and the ongoing rainy season has worsened the scenario. For the high School Galak it is a forced holiday whenever the sky opens up.
The Government High School Galak is running on the mercy of the God for the last many years. The building is totally damaged, the walls broken, no doors, no windows and the height is that a major portion of the school building is without roof, but it could hardly grab the attention of the authorities.
This school building is located on the roadside, and many other major stations of district Kathua route through this station only, but to the ill-fate of the students , it could hardly attract the attention of those at helm. For the last more than seven years, the tinned roof of a large portion of the school has also collapsed.
The students which are more than 200 in number, who come to this school with a ray of hope to learn something, in rains mostly have to take shelter here and there in some corner of the school as there is hardly any classroom which is in good condition. The strength of the staff in this school is 17, which includes 14 teachers.
“ I think it is the ill-fate of the poor people. We hardly manage to send our children to school, but there is always is fear in our mind as what will happen if the building would collapse. There are some children who even come after trekking more than 10 kilometers, but what education they are getting. When ever there are showers, there is no class”, says, Sham Kumar Gupta, a localite of Galak.
“There is no furniture in school. The children are made to sit on ground as even the mats, on which the students are supposed to sit are tattered .There are hardly few desks for class 9th and 10th students, otherwise the students sit in open on ground, so one can better guess the problems which the students confront. In summers , when even it is not tolerable to stand under sun for few minutes, these tiny tots are made to sit in open for hours”, says Parveen Kumar, a shopkeeper and a localite of Galak.
“For a quite long time now, except 10th and 9th, rest of the classes are being held at Panchayat Ghar, Galak. The students of the primary classes now carry an impression that Panchayat Ghar is their school. You stop and ask any student of the primary class as where do they study, they will answer back , at Panchayat Ghar,” he adds.
“The building is in very bad condition and will collapse any time. Every now and then hi-ups from the education department tour this school, but nothing much has been done so far. We highlighted our problem one and then the DC Kathua, also visited the school. Even he assured that he would get four new rooms constructed for the school, however nothing was done,” adds Parveen.
“ We approached director also and then the director directed the construction of two classrooms, but the work of the construction of those school is going on snails pace. It is the rainy season and the condition has worsened, still there is no ray of hope for the children”, says Ved Parkash Sharma, a resident of Galak.
“MLA Billawar, Manohar Lal, who is incidentally Minister of State in the state council of ministers, also visited the school. Except assurance the minister has not done anything concrete so far for the school. When we choose our representative, we always think that he will work for the welfare of the constituency, but even after his personal visit no personal initiative has been taken by him,” says Parshant Sharma, a resident of Galak.
The edifice has gaping holes and fissures in the roof and walls. Seven years ago authorities stopped holding classes in the building, except for two rooms where classes of 9th and 10th are held.
“The Government is aware of the problem but is not taking any action,” says Nagar Mal Gupta.
“ Whether it is the intolerable hot sunny days or the rains, every now and then it is a forced holiday as the conditions are not appropriate for holding the classes”, says Nagar Mal.
What students will learn if government which always speaks high of making “India literate” would not check what exactly is going in the government schools. Would this dream of “Sakshar Bharat”, be fulfilled this way?
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