MAPUSA: Temples of grassroots education in Bardez left to ‘decompose’. Recently, the roof sheet of the Government Primary School at Khorlim crashing down following heavy rains was yet another sign that the free fall of education infrastructure at the grassroots remains unchecked.
Several government primary schools in the Bardez taluka, which have remained shut, now stand in a pathetic condition and are on the verge of collapsing any moment.
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The locals opine that instead of abandoning these buildings, the government should repair them and hand them over to Self-Help Groups (SHGs) or start music classes.
According to sources, there are 35 primary schools in the taluka that have remained closed for the past many years.
Sources stated that the funds to repair and maintain these government primary schools go directly to village panchayats and now it is their duty to look after these structures.
In Bardez, some schools are repaired and maintained by the panchayats while repair work at a few schools is pending due to the monsoon. However, some minor works were recently undertaken at a few schools under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
Currently, there are around 57 government primary schools in Bardez taluka, which have around 63 teachers including 41 trained English teachers, while 12 are on a contract basis.
A school in Nerul was recently closed down due to poor enrolment as there were only four students. The massive building housed a separate library and an Anganwadi, but on account of an aided school located nearby, the enrolment suffered and was closed down.
The total strength of the students in Government Primary Schools in the taluka is above 1,500. It is learnt that 90 per cent of these students are migrants. The roof of the Government Primary School at Nachinola got soaked following the heavy rains and requires urgent repair. Sources informed that a letter in this regard has been made to the department concerned.
“The government should focus on providing better facilities at the government primary schools to improve the enrolment. Most students studying in these schools are migrants”, a parent said.
Colvale panch Ritesh Varkhandkar said, “The school buildings in our village are in good condition but the only issue is that there are no proper benches due to which the students are forced to sit on the floor, which causes inconvenience and discomfort, especially during monsoon.”
As has been seen in other talukas, Education Department officials seem to be in denial. Bardez ADEI Uma Bagkar said, “There are no buildings which are in total disrepair but there are few structures which require minor repair.”
