Both schools there do not have enough teachers
The Higher Primary Government School-Urdu Medium in Sagar, Shahpur taluk, has run without electricity for the past seven months. Despite a complaint by the headmaster to the gram panchayat, no action has been taken.
Laxman Narayankar, headmaster and Kannada teacher at the school, said: “Education is very poor here as people do not value education. It is mainly because they do not know anything about it. We do not have electricity for the past seven months. All cables have fallen. I have submitted a complaint application long back to the panchayat, but they haven’t taken any action. They do not care about government schools.”
Sagar has two government schools – one for the girls and a Urdu-medium school. Out of 72 students in total, teachers said, only about 30 attend school.
Science teacher Sultana informed The Observer: “There are 72 students here. They stay here from morning to evening without electricity. We three teachers teach all the subjects. One teacher has to at least take 3 to 4 subjects per class as there are not enough teachers. Students do not come regularly. If all facilities are provided, they will come regularly.”
V Pradeep Kumar, an education expert, commented: “It is atrocious. It is the mistake of both the headmaster and the panchayat development officer. The headmaster should have gone further to complain to the zilla panchayat and even the education ministry. When a government school does not have the basic amenities, how will parents send their children to school?”
Kalappa Vishvakarma, secretary of the Sagar Gram Panchayat, said not many students study in both schools as their parents do not allow them. “We are not getting any funds from the government to maintain the schools.”
PDO Annaray Roogi said: “The teacher had given the application a few days ago. We are looking into the matter. We will soon rectify it. It usually takes time as we rectify all problems together.”
The Observer noticed that the school does not have proper infrastructure and is very small for 72 students. The classrooms are shabby.
The Union government financially supports the states and Union Territories (UTs), for the creation and improvement of infrastructure in schools under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. The requirements of infrastructure in schools are worked out every year by the respective state/Union Territory.
