Severe Infrastructure Issues Plague Government Primary School in Bhadrak District

Critical Condition of Belda Government Primary School

By Bijay Panda

Ganijang: The Government Primary School located in Belda, Mundasahi, within the Banta block of Bhadrak district, is grappling with significant infrastructural deficiencies, forcing 119 students to share just two classrooms.

The facility is devoid of essential amenities such as adequate classrooms, a storeroom, an office, toilets, and piped drinking water. Due to the limited classroom space, some students are compelled to attend lessons in the school’s verandah. Furthermore, there is no proper kitchen for preparing mid-day meals, nor are there separate toilets for boys and girls.

The area surrounding the hand pump, which students use for drinking water, is unsanitary, raising serious health concerns. Established in 2008, the school caters to students from Sishu Vatika to Class V and currently enrolls 119 children.

While the school requires five classrooms, only two are currently available. This shortage forces students from different grades to share the same space, with some having to sit outside. Such arrangements have negatively impacted both teaching and learning experiences.

When a teacher is instructing one group, students from another class often disrupt the lesson, making it challenging for educators to manage multiple classes at once. The lack of fundamental infrastructure has created significant hurdles for both students and teachers.

Parents and community members have voiced their concerns regarding the school’s condition, urging authorities to take prompt action to provide the necessary classrooms and facilities. In light of the government’s initiative promoting the slogan ‘Sabhien Padhiba, Sabhien Badhiba (All learn, all grow),’ the current state of the school raises serious questions about the effectiveness of educational infrastructure at the grassroots level.

The school employs three regular teachers, including female educators, and has one Sishu Sevika (child-care worker) for the Sishu Vatika section. However, it has been without a permanent headmaster for the last five years, relying on an in-charge headmaster for management. Mitarani Nath, the president of the School Management Committee, highlighted that the lack of classrooms is severely hindering students’ education.

She also mentioned the difficulties of preparing mid-day meals in the limited space available. With no separate toilets for boys and girls, all students must use a single facility. Nath has called for immediate resolution of these issues. In-charge headmaster Pratap Chandra Mohapatra stated that the absence of a permanent headmaster since 2022 has complicated the management of both the school and the hostel.

With over 75 students residing in the hostel, challenges arise in meal preparation and supervision. Mohapatra noted that the classroom shortage is impacting teaching quality, while the lack of an office space complicates administrative tasks.

He confirmed that the block education officer has been made aware of these issues. Block Education Officer (BEO) Chittaranjan Mohanty acknowledged the need for additional classrooms. He mentioned that both the district education officer and block development officer have been approached to facilitate the construction of new rooms.

Mohanty also pointed out that the school has not received any special funding in the past five years, which has hindered infrastructure improvements. He assured that measures would be taken to appoint more teachers in accordance with the student-teacher ratio.