Students, teachers risk life at 250 Satkhira pry school buildings

SATKHIRA, Nov 3: The lives of nearly 1,500 teachers and staff and 36,000 young students are in jeopardy due to the risky buildings of 250 out of 1,095 primary schools in the district.

Fearing potential loss of life, student enrolment in these schools is steadily declining. However, the District Primary Education Officer (DPEO) said that a list of these 250 vulnerable educational institutions has been forwarded to the ministry, and construction of new buildings is expected to begin shortly.

Humayun Kabir, Head-Teacher of Kultia Government Primary School in Satkhira Sadar, said that the school, established in 1962, had its current building constructed in 2003. Over the past 23 years, plasters from the ceilings and walls have peeled away, exposing the brickwork beneath. Additionally, due to water-logging in the school playground during the rainy season, the access road to the school also gets submerged. He added that despite achieving good academic results and scholarship awards every year, student enrolment continues to drop due to the persistent hazards and hardships. He strongly demanded the immediate construction of a new school building.

Meanwhile, the situation at Dakkhin Ghoshpara Government Primary School in the Satkhira town is much the same. Owing to the extreme structural danger, the school is somehow functioning after minor repairs carried out using funds received during the previous elections. Teachers and students have also raised a strong demand for a new building.

Shajahan Ali, Head-Teacher of Kulpota Government Primary School, located west of the Sadar Upazila, mentioned that the school was nationalised in 2013 but is yet to see any infrastructure development. The tin roof and wooden framework have completely rotted away. The students are suffering from a shortage of benches. The school grounds remain submerged during the monsoon. On hot days, classes have to be run under the shade of trees. 

A spot visit to Kultia School revealed that academic activities are running under severe security risks, leaving teachers, students, and guardians in constant anxiety during school hours.
 
Unless new buildings are constructed immediately for these 250 dilapidated and hazardous primary schools, a major fatal accident could occur at any moment. Therefore, guardians and conscious citizens expect the government to act swiftly in constructing new facilities to safeguard the lives of the children and relieve families of their constant anxiety.

Addressing these issues, DPEO Md Ruhul Amin said, “We have sent a list of the 250 hazardous schools out of 1,095 primary schools in Satkhira to the ministry. Around 1,500 teachers and 36,000 students in these schools are facing daily risks.” He hoped that new buildings for these institutions would be constructed within the next two to three years, adding that the most critical structures are currently being temporarily patched up using limited emergency funds from the government, though they remain far from safe.