Daijiworld Media Network – Satna
Satna, Aug 29: In Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district, the Dudha Primary School paints a grim picture of crumbling infrastructure and neglect in government schools. After the collapse of its building, as many as 95 children from five different grades are being taught in a single hall, with five blackboards and five subjects running simultaneously.
Scenes of children learning alphabets in English and Hindi alongside arithmetic, often in overlapping voices, have reduced education to confusion. A student summed it up poignantly: “It is very difficult to study. Voices come from everywhere. Sometimes we understand, sometimes we don’t.”
Teacher Lavkush Kori admitted the daily struggles, saying that at times classes are held under a tree, and children have to be rushed indoors when it rains. More than 70 schools in Satna face similar challenges, with files moving endlessly between departments while students wait for classrooms that never come.
Headmaster Pushpraj Sharma revealed that their school building was demolished two years ago and multiple letters were sent to authorities, but no construction followed. Assistant Engineer Sunil Saraf confirmed that proposals had been sent, with approvals still pending.
The crisis is not confined to Satna. In Bhopal itself, a school behind the Raj Bhavan accommodates all classes up to grade five in one room, with mid-day meals served in the same cramped space.
Madhya Pradesh’s education system is under severe strain, with enrolment in Classes 1 to 8 dropping from over one crore in 2010–11 to 54.58 lakh now. This year, hundreds of schools saw zero admissions, while 7,217 schools continue with a single teacher and 5,600 either lack buildings or operate from dilapidated ones.
School Education Minister Uday Pratap Singh acknowledged the shortages but maintained that under Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s leadership, funds have been allocated and plans drawn up for new classrooms and maintenance. He assured that the government is striving to provide the best possible resources.