CHRISTANAND PEDNEKAR
QUEPEM: A government school in a constituency that has almost always had ruling party MLAs, and even a Deputy Chief, has a crumbling Government high school has not been repaired for 35 years.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
The Bhagwan Mahaveer Government High School in Padi, Barcem, is the epitome of neglect. Built in this laidback village of the Quepem taluka way back in 1987, when Pratap Singh Rane was Chief Minister and Prakash Velip was the local MLA.
The school building is now a decrepit shadow of its former self, with cracking walls, crumbling ceiling plaster and rusting iron rods that threaten to grievously injure the over 200 students and teaching and administrative staff that use it virtually every day. Even the toilets and benches are in a sorry state, with many broken or on the verge of falling apart.
Signs of an impending disaster are almost certain, but the state government, in what appears to be a habitual case of apathy towards schools in rural areas, has failed to repair and maintain the building for the entire 35 years of its existence.
“They (government officials) only made promises but failed to fix the building. The school has been completely ignored,” said the president of the school’s parent-teacher association (PTA), Laxmikant Gaonkar. “The building is nearing a state of collapse and is endangering the lives of the students and teachers. As PTA president, I have tried to draw the authorities’ attention to our dire situation, but little has been done.”
The immediate fallout of this neglect was that enrollment began dwindling. Gaonkar said the school used to boast of 300-400 students, many of whom were gradually withdrawn by the parents due to the sorry state of the school building.
Although enrollment is now down to 230 amid crumbling infrastructure, it hasn’t stopped the students – a majority of whom belong to the Scheduled Tribes – from putting up a stellar performance at public exams. At the last Std X board examination, they managed to garner an impressive pass percentage of 81.
Barcem sarpanch Arjun Velip, who himself is an alumnus of the school, likened the building to a cattle shed.
“We want to draw the attention of our Chief Minister, who is also the education minister and ask him to make time to visit the school along with the officials concerned and take note of its condition. If anyone is injured, who will take responsibility?” he asked. “I have already apprised the education department of this issue. We need the government to intervene immediately.”
When contacted, Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa offered some hope after 35 years. He said rehabilitation efforts were stalled earlier due to a tender that had been issued based on the old Goa Schedule of Rates (GSR).
“But now, under the new PWD minister Nilesh Cabral, the new GSR has been approved. A fresh work tender will be issued and repairs of the building will begin two or three months after that. Before the next monsoon, renovation of all government primary and secondary schools that are in bad shape will be completed,” he added.
Coming after 35 years, this is indeed a promise too late. But we will keep a watch to see if even this is fulfilled.
