Hyderabad:
This academic year, the state government launched the ‘Badi Bata’ initiative to increase admissions in government schools. However, the effort is struggling because many schools lack essential infrastructure, such as classrooms and clean washrooms.
Despite parents wanting to send their children to government schools, they hesitate due to these missing facilities. For example, the Government Girls Primary School in Masab Tank doesn’t have enough classrooms.
Every day, students at this school face difficulties due to the lack of classrooms. Some sit in overcrowded rooms while others have to sit outside under the open sky.
When The Hans India team visited the school, they saw four students sharing a single bench and some groups of students sitting outside. They also discovered a classroom that has been locked for over a year without any known reason. Additionally, the school premises and washrooms are not cleaned regularly because there are no sanitary workers.
Some students mentioned that during language classes, they face problems. “If the Telugu class is inside, then the Hindi and Urdu students have to sit outside,” they said.
A teacher, speaking anonymously, shared that the school’s student strength has slightly increased this year because many students can’t afford private school fees. Currently, the school has 300 students. Last year they managed with the available space, but this year it’s more challenging. The school has only five classrooms but needs five more. One classroom has been locked for a year, and they have asked the education department to unlock it so students don’t have to sit on the ground.
Even though the school receives adequate funding, they have not been able to take up renovation tasks. These tasks include fixing broken toilets, providing benches in classrooms, cleaning washrooms and the school premises, and constructing new classrooms.
