School that Makes one Feel Blue

<i>200 pry students study under open sky for over a year</i>

25 October 2009, 17:00 PM

Sohrab Hossain, Patuakhali

Students of Auliapur Hat Government Primary School in Patuakhali Sadar upazila attending classes under the open sky as dilapidated building of the school cum cyclone centre, inset, was declared abandoned more than a year. Photo: STAR

A few hundred students of Auliapur Hat Government Primary School in Patuakhali Sadar upazila have to attend classes under the open sky as the school building cum cyclone shelter was declared abandoned more than a year ago. As the building has become too risky due to lack of repair since its establishment in 1973, villagers cannot use it during cyclone or other natural disasters. During a recent visit, this correspondent saw about 200 students of five classes getting lessons under the open sky. “We have to take benches to the field for attending classes every day and bring them back to the school rooms after the classes end,” said class four student Sabina. “We arrange classes under the open sky as a team from Education Engineering Department last year told us not to use the unfit building. How will we conduct classes in the rainy season?” Farida Parvin, headmaster of the school, said. “We are afraid to send our children to the school as condition of the building is very bad,” said Ali Akbar Khan, a guardian. Locals could not take shelter in the cyclone shelter during the last cyclone as it had been declared abandoned, he added. Md Abu Zafor Mridha, chairman of the managing committee, said, “Despite assurance by the higher authorities several times, work for rebuilding the school is yet to start.” “The building may collapse any time as it has remained without any renovation since its establishment in 1973. Classes are disturbed. Sudden rain wets students' books and khatas when they attend classes under the open sky,” he said. Sadar upazila Primary Education Officer Jesmin Akhter said, “We discussed the matter in a meeting of Upazila Education Committee on June 5 in 2007 and we sent resolution with prayer to take immediate steps to rebuild the building but no step has been taken yet.” When contacted, Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khorshed Alam, also chairman of Upazila Education Committee, said, “We are trying our best to rebuild the school building.” Mokhlesur Rahman, Sadar upazila engineer for LGED, said, “We sent several letters to the higher authorities about rebuilding the school but they are yet to take necessary steps.”