Paz Mohalla (Budgam), Aug 09: The Government Primary School at Paz Mohalla, Raiyar Ich, in educational zone Khansahib, with 60 students on its roll from first to the fifth standard, is functioning from a two room building.
Located on the Gurwait-Doodhpathri road, some 21 km from Budgam township, the students in this primary school remain crammed in just two rooms where teachers take 25 classes in a single working day.
“Our school is a complete mess. We can’t study properly here,” said aggrieved students.
Earlier, the school had three rooms and a kitchen, but in the year 2014, the school was hit by a landslide which damaged the kitchen and one classroom.
Till date, half the portion of school building is lying under the debris. The students are now attending their classes under a constant fear of the school being hit by a landslide again, particularly during rains.
A teacher of the said school told ‘Kashmir Images’ that government has abandoned Paz Mohalla school. “The government has even failed to erect a much-needed protection wall around the school building, leave removing the debris.”
Interestingly, the school has only two teachers and when this reporter visited the school, only one teacher was found present there, while the other one was on a casual leave.
The said teacher informed ‘Kashmir Images’ about the difficulties which he and his colleague are facing while running the school.
He said most of the times only one teacher remains present at school as one keeps visiting Khansahib and Budgam for office-related works. He requested the government to provide adequate staff for the school.
The problems related to this school do not end here.
Notwithstanding hue hype about the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’, this school lacks a toilet facility. So the students as well as teachers have either to rush to their respective homes or do it in the open to relieve themselves.
Though the government had constructed two toilet points on the school premises, but they have not been made functional yet.
Local villagers told ‘Kashmir Images’ that they have been visiting the concerned Chief Education Officer (CEO) and Zonal Education Officer (ZEO), but none of them has ever tried to resolve the problems related of the school.
When contacted ZEO Khansahib, Mohammad Ramzan, said that the Education department cannot provide more staff to Paz Mohalla Primary School.
“We don’t have a provision for another teacher to this school.”
About inadequate infrastructure, Ramzan blamed the CEO for the same.
“When the school building collapsed, we had written to the CEO for its repairs, but nothing was done in this regard,” he said.
While talking to ‘Kashmir Images’, CEO Budgam, Rouf Ahmad Shahmari admitted that villagers have apprised him about the problems of the school which are yet to be redressed.
“We have raised the issues of Budgam schools with the government. In coming months all the schools will be provided with proper infrastructure and all other problems will be also sorted out,” he claimed.
