The ambitious government initiated Mana Ooru - Mana Badi/Mana Basti - Mana Badi programme was launched by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao with much fanfare three months ago in Wanaparthy district.
Its almost three months since its launch, and a month since schools reopened, several schools in old Medak district are crying for attention as the infrastructure facilities are yet to improve.
With parents making a beeline to the government schools for admission, dilapidated buildings, lack of proper toilets, no furniture and absence of Vidya Volunteers is what ails the State-run educational institutions.
Take the case of the government high school located at Sadasivapet mandal headquarters in Sangareddy district where English, Telugu and Urdu medium classes are being run.
As you step into the premises, one is greeted by a dilapidated building whose one supporting wall has already collapsed. The almost century-old building awaits attention even as the Education Department officials advised the teachers not to sit in the building. The teachers and the students await a new building while no effort has been made either to renovate the old one or demolish it to prevent any untoward incident.
Diagonally opposite to that is another building, constructed about 40 years with asbestos sheets. Sadly the asbestos sheets have cracked and badly damaged as sun rays hits the floor, and during monsoon - it is inundated.
So pathetic is the case that students have to sit according to the movement of the sun to hide themselves from sun rays. During rains, it is undeclared holiday for students from Class VI to Class VIII.
The present strength of the school is 365 and it may reach 450 by the end of August as the last year strength was recorded as 494.
The school needs as many as 22 class rooms, according to teachers but presently only two classrooms are in working condition. Though there are another 10 rooms, they are not in usable condition, but as there’s no other option -- teachers are using them.
The tiles on the floors are broken and snakes, scorpions and rats are regular visitors, say students.
Classes are being taken under trees as the teachers are unable to adjust students in classrooms. Surprisingly, it was stated that three former MLAs - Ramachandra Reddy, Jaya Rami Reddy and Chinta Prabhakar- studied in this school.
In another school in the town, girl students were seen waiting for their turn to go to the washroom.
“Contractors are not coming forward to file tenders for school works as they are not sure whether the government would release the funds once the works were completed. A contractor completed about ₹5 lakh work and he was released only ₹50,000 so far. After knowing this, no contractor is coming forward. We were informed that ₹2 crore for each district was released and that it’s not sufficient even for a big work in a single school. The work may not get completed in this academic year,” said a teacher on condition of anonymity.
