In UP classroom: Umbrella in 1 hand, copies in the other
LUCKNOW: A set of photos and a video best describing the sorry state of education in Uttar Pradesh have gone viral.Clicked at a government primary school in Barabanki, the photos show students with umbrellas in one hand and writing in their copies with another — all because the ceiling of their classroom has been leaking badly.
“As you can see the ceiling of our classroom is leaking, so we have no option but to study under an umbrella. We always carry umbrellas to our classroom,” Muskan, a class 1 student is heard revealing her ordeal in the video.
“Most of the time parents discourage us from going to school as the building is in a bad condition. Things are scary here. We don’t know when our school building will crumble,” added Muskan. Many parents want to withdraw their children from the school as the building is not safe,” Sunita Mishra, a teacher is also heard saying in the video.
“The leakage has also caused a drop in attendance,” she said.
There are just two rooms in the school and the building is in a bad shape.
According to the teacher, a number of applications have been sent to the education department, nagar palika and nagar panchayat but none have come forward to help.
The school is said to be just a kilometre away from the district headquarters.
When contacted, basic education minister Anupama Jaiswal said it is shocking to see students sitting with an umbrella in a classroom.
“We will shift the students to some another building. We cannot compromise with the safety of our students,” said Jaiswal while promising to seek a detailed report from her department.
Barabanki Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Vinay Kumar said the matter has come to his knowledge now. “I have asked the block education officer to shift the school temporarily to another building and submit a report. Funds have also been issued for the maintenance of school,” the BSA said.