Shirgao village in Bicholim might be rich in mineral wealth, but its children and their parents have complained that they are denied the wealth of education. Enraged with the authorities’ apathy towards the dilapidated Shirgao Government High School (SGHS), the parents and other locals have threatened to sit outside the school if the repairs are not completed by the month’s end.
According to the locals, the repairs have been going on for two years. SGHS parent-teachers association president Premdas Gaonkar stated that the children were facing difficulties due to the incomplete work. He said, “There are 68 students in the school, and students not just from Shirgao, but also from Advalpal. The repair work is going on for the last several months. The contractor is just delaying the process.”
He continued, “Presently, the students are made to sit either in the laboratory, library or hall as there are no proper classrooms. Most of the rooms are yet to be repaired and the students are shifted from one place to another. Earlier, we were told that the repair work would be over by April, but it is still not complete even after one month after the school reopened.”
“After every few days, the contractor stops the work with the reason that there are no funds. Now if this continues, we will be forced to sit outside the school along with the students from July 31,” said Gaonkar. He added that the repair works led to a lot of dust pollution, which increased the chances of the students falling sick.
He also criticized the lack of facilities in the school. He said, “There are no proper toilets or water. What is department doing? We strongly feel that the government is to be blamed if the parents are not sending their students to government schools. There is a lack of infrastructure in these schools. We had demanded benches and other equipment, but nothing fruitful came out.”
Moreover, in the absence of a clerk, the SGHS teachers are also forced to do the office work. “The school’s clerk was transferred, but the government failed to provide it with a new clerk. As there is no clerk, the headmaster or teachers handle the clerk’s work,” lamented Gaonkar. The parents also allege that the work done is sub-standard.
Another resident Anand Gaonkar also blamed the contractor and government for the delay. He said, “We expected the school to be repaired before the start of the new academic year, but the work is still going on. We have decided to agitate if the work is not completed in this month.”
