Udupi: Wall collapses, school faces peril - students cry for immediate attention


Prince Mahesh

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Jul 25: Mahatma Gandhi government higher primary school here is facing the question of its survival. Due to incessant rain since some days, a sidewall of the school built of mud had crashed to the ground. Classes are continuing inside this dilapidated building. Deputy director of public instruction of this district, H Divakar Shetty, has been promising to get the wall repaired in a couple of days, but no one seems to be bothered about finding a permanent solution to the problems of this very old school.

This school is well-past its centenary year of existence and is in its 132nd year. Most of the students of this school either are children of coolies or nomad families. As per information, during the school's 131 years, no development works were carried out here except painting of the walls on a couple of occasions.

The school came into being in the year 1885 in a land donated by Haji Abdulla, who later founded Corporation Bank. Sri Vishweshateertha Swamiji of Pejawar Math happens to be an old student of this school. He says he is aware about the bad current state of the school and he is open to discussions on renovating the school.



























During the period Shambhu Suvarna. who has since retired, was the headmaster of this school, he had sent proposals three to four times for renovation and reconstruction of the school but the government did not show any interest in them. The school building stands testimony to the rule during British era. Although the school has enough student strength, there is lack of enough lighting and air circulation. The office of block education officer was located in this building in the past, but the office has been vacated. Now, this office has remained vacant.

As of now, one of the rooms in the school is used to run first to third standards, while the other room accommodates standards 4 to 7. Another room has been used as office room. The fourth room is meant for Akshara Dasoha implementation. Three teachers and a head teacher are conducting classes now.

No basic facilities

Although the children have other facilities here, basic need of any school, playground, is absent. Although the children had been given an opportunity to play in a spot nearby in the past, the children have been robbed of this opportunity as a super specialty hospital building is coming up there now.

Vehicles are parked in front of this school and Alankar bus stand is located adjacent to this school. The school is located in a spot where traffic is dense. Therefore, ensuring safety of students has become a challenging task for the teachers.

As the walls of this school are very old and built of mud, renovating the building is impossible. A huge private hospital is coming up near this school. A wall of the school had crashed on account of hospital construction work. The media had brought this fact to the notice of education department. The school now has about 68 students, and ten students have been sent to other schools by issuing transfer certificates to them.

This school responds to aspirations of labour families who want to provide education to children. In the past, a vehicle under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan had been provided to carry children home but this facility was withdrawn because of stricter norms imposed after the accident near Trasi last year. Although it was proposed to the education department to shift the children to the school next to the city municipality building, there has been no response to this proposal. There are objections from certain people about proposal to close down this school, but the education department could have taken proper steps and ensured that the school functioned from another spot nearby.

The media persons had also drawn attention of Krupa Alva, president of women and child protection commission, and member of the commission, Vanita Torvi, but nothing significant seems to have been achieved out of this.

A wall of this school had developed cracks three months back. If the department was really interested, it could have conducted necessary repairs to the wall during April and May, when the school was closed for summer holidays. It is tragic that the department, in its report to the top brass in the department, has been projecting as if everything is going on smoothly, by concealing the real problems.

In the past , this school had about 300 students, but this number has been dwindling with the passage of each year. The school is facing the prospect of getting closed down for lack of students.

In spite of what the future has in store for the school, are the concerned right in making these innocent children to confine themselves between dilapidated, damaged walls and make them dream of big things in life? Is it not ironic that such a school exists at the centre of the headquarters of a district that claims itself to be 100 percent literate?

  

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Comment on this article

  • Rita, Germany

    Tue, Jul 25 2017

    when one looks at the building ,doesnt look like a school .but a heap of mud.All these years everyone failed to do something.Even Govt. in the first place.where are all these MLAs ,of the udipi and DK.?Now should all students of this school get together ,make some arrangements and help the poor and sad stage of this school .Even Swamijis too could make arrangements to start first instead of waiting for talks which will take some more years till whole building collapses.God bless the children and save them from further collaps. Instead of gold cover to Daitys ,a school class donation will be much appriciated.

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Francis Saldanha, Bahrain

    Tue, Jul 25 2017

    This is nothing but Administration's apathy!

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Evans Christopher Sumitra, Udupi/ New York, USA.

    Tue, Jul 25 2017

    It is a sorry state of affair that this 131 years old school stands in such a dilapidated condition and now a part of the wall has collapsed. In spite of that nothing is being done. These students belong to coolies and nomadic families and that is why it has been neglected. I hope something should be done soon to avoid any mishaps in the near future.

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • JOY CASTELINO, MOODUBELLE/DUBAI

    Tue, Jul 25 2017

    This school is in prime area of the Udupi city, so may be someone eyeing on this land.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [16] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rao, Udupi

    Tue, Jul 25 2017

    Government spends in crores for unwanted advertisements and celebrations but do not have money for these schools which is a necessity. It looks right to education is only a law and in paper.
    This school is in heart of the city and may be they want to get rid of this school and are interested in this prime land.

    DisAgree Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse

  • jeevan, mangalore

    Tue, Jul 25 2017

    Very sad.
    We have Shadi Bhagya but no School Bhagya.....

    DisAgree [16] Agree [19] Reply Report Abuse

  • Stan, Udupi

    Tue, Jul 25 2017

    Central government collects funds from all income tax payers / service taxes & import customs duties, under the head 'Education Cess' and 'SHE -Secondary & Higher Education Cess'. Where have these funds gone....?

    DisAgree [8] Agree [11] Reply Report Abuse

  • HENRY MISQUITH, Bahrain

    Tue, Jul 25 2017

    Students' lives at risk..

    DisAgree Agree [15] Reply Report Abuse


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