As we have said the writing is indeed on the wall. Or let’s say, in the broken walls of government middle and primary schools. Parents are pulling their children out of government schools amidst concerns for the health and safety of their little ones
Herald travelled to some government primary as well as middle schools located in Cortalim constituency which have their own buildings and a sufficient campus area, and yet have seen an alarming drop in enrolments.
This is because the Education Department has failed to resolve the recurring problems of leaking roofs, slippery floors and damp walls. Faced by this, parents hesitate to send their children to the schools.
The first school Herald visited on Wednesday is located in the densely populated area of Sotrant in Cortalim village. This government primary and middle school (GPMS) was once a popular school in the village as it had opened during the Portuguese rule (1910) and was subsequently taken over by the State government.
“Until 2010 this GPMS had over 100 students but later enrolments started dropping. This academic year the school has just 22 students (Class I to Class VII) and all are from the migrant community as locals avoid sending their children to this school because of the poor infrastructure and unattractive building that leaks every monsoon,” a member of school management committee said.
All classrooms on the first floor have leakage problems forcing the school authorities to shift the middle section classrooms to the ground floor. This has become an annual exercise. Strangely, leaking roofs have been attributed to monkeys, who are regular visitors to the school and who, in order to gain access to the classrooms, have damaged the roof tiles.
“We have been pleading before the department to replace the roof tiles with cement sheets so that we could get rid of the leaks but nobody cares. The department has been asking us to look for sponsors. If this leaking problem is solved half our headache would be resolved and probably more parents would enroll their children,” a school teacher told Herald seeking anonymity.
Moving ahead, Herald visited another government primary and middle school located at Curpavaddo in Cortalim-Quelossim. This school too has a double storied building but half of the first floor remains unused due to leaking roofs. The school has sufficient students (mostly migrants) but has too many problems as the dilapidated building lacks amenities and is neglected like other schools in the area.
“We have about 38 students studying in different classes (I to VII), however, our classrooms on the first floor are leaking. We are carrying out repairs with whatever maintenance funds are made available to us by the department. But we need more funds to plug all leakages as the walls are becoming weak due to the leakage. Even after inspection of the school building by GSIDC, the promise to take up repairs remains unfulfilled,” said a school teacher.
Similarly, another government primary school (GPS) in Sindolim in Sancoale, has been facing problems of leakages and damp walls and a sharp decline in student enrolment. This year there was not a single new enrolment in the primary section due to the neglect to the building. Currently, the school has a lone teacher and five students (two studying in Class II and three in Class IV).
Herald also spoke to a few people living in the neighbourhood as to why they are not willing to send their children to GPS Sindolim. “Who wants their children to study in a school that is soaked in rain and has damp walls that may make our child ill? The school has been totally neglected as one teacher is teaching all four classes in one room. A child’s education will surely be hampered by this,” a Sancoale resident said.
It is clear that government schools in Cortalim constituency, although they have their own buildings and sufficient area for conducting other activities, are no go areas for parents due to the dilapidated state of the buildings. The department, instead of resolving the issues has been merely doling out assurances.
