BERHAMPUR:While most of the Government schools in Ganjam district are plagued with shortage of teachers, the high school at Padmanavpur under Digapahandi block is facing the peculiar problem of shortage of classrooms.
As many as 356 students are enrolled in Classes VIII, IX and X in the high school. For them, eight teachers have been appointed. However, the school consists of only six rooms which are unable to cater to all the students.
While one of the rooms houses the computer laboratory, two serve as common rooms and the rest three are used as classrooms for students. As a result, the teachers are forced to take classes in the open. And during rains, the school verandah serves as classrooms for students.
The worst hit of the space crunch are Sanskrit students. While teachers of other subjects, aware of the shortage of classrooms, have set their timetable accordingly and use the available space, students of Sanskrit have to manage by sitting in the open.
The students are so keen for the subject that they have no qualms sitting in the open during classes. However, the situation become unmanageable during rains which lead to frequent postponement of classes, the students said. Some parents alleged that during rains, snakes and frogs manage to reach near the students who sit in the open. Though no untoward incident has been reported so far, the danger to students cannot be ruled out in the future, they said.
Heaping praises on the students for patiently bearing with the problem, Surendranath Sadangi, the Sanskrit teacher of the school, said though space crunch is there, classes are being held keeping in view the interest of students. Headmistress Jyotshnarani Sahu said the matter has been repeatedly placed before various authorities but to no avail.
District Education Officer Sanatana Panda said the Education department has already been apprised of the situation and requested for construction of additional classrooms. The DEO assured to sort out the problem soon.