:A government-run middle school in Bandipora has been functioning out of two rooms for its eight classes.
It may be hard to fathom how the students at the school in Sumlar villagesuffer when four classes are being taught inside a single room at the same timewith a flimsy partition.
“Students of two classes are cramped up in one room and teachers impartlessons to two classes simultaneously. This is the state of affairs ingovernment schools,” said Neelofar, a standard 8th student at the school.
“Students of the 7th and 8th standard are taught in the same room. Theheight is that it has been dissected into two parts and on the other sidestudents of the 5th and 6th standard are taught simultaneously.”
She said in the noisy conditions it is impossible tograsp any lessons clearly.
The school at Malikpora with 40 students has just three teachers.
“We have dissected one classroom into two and adjusted 4 classes in itincluding 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th classes while rest of the classes from primaryclass to 4th standardare taught in one room,” said one of the teachers.
“Due to space constraints, we are able to take one class only for 20minutes and another class for another 20 minutes simultaneously in one room.”
Students said that the school doesn’t have a playground and proper roadconnectivity.
“We have to walk through the paddy fields every day to reach the school.Morning assembly is also held in the paddy field as it is open today but whensowing season will start we won’t be able to hold morning assembly,” a studentrued.
“On one side the government is talking smart classrooms in governmentschools and on the other they are not able to provide even basicinfrastructure. What do we learn in such an environment?”
The students appealed to higher authorities for provide them additionalspace and mitigate their sufferings.
Chief Education Officer Bandipora, Javid Iqbal Wani acknowledged that themiddle school Malikpora lacks space.
“One room functions as an office while 8 classes are held in two rooms.We could have given them an additional building but we don’t have landavailable there,” Wani said.
“The land is to beprovided by the locals because their children study there. As and when land isprovided we will construct additional classrooms for the school. The localshave to either donate the land or they will also get compensation for it.”