Playgrounds turned marketplace!
No student should have to be in a position where they have to utter the statement: "We are always scared of being kicked or butted by cows." Or that their classes are disrupted due to the activities of a bazaar on the school premises. Though the distinction between a school and a market are obvious, it is non-existent when it comes to Durgapur Government Primary School.
The grounds of the school in Durgapur Union in Bogra have been taken over by local businessmen to serve as a makeshift marketplace. The utter callousness of land-grabbing of school premises to build a marketplace with an unhygienic latrine is beyond words. What is more appalling is the failure to address the aberration after repeated complaints to the higher authorities.
The school in question has repeatedly done well in terms of producing quality students. The school authorities and the teachers are a dedicated bunch. And yet the entreaties from teachers, the headmaster, and even the president of the school's managing committee have fallen on deaf ears. In some cases these have even been met by threats to the school's staff and students.
The case for taking swift action is not only about the blatant abuse of power by the local market committee but also about preserving the quality of the school. Land grabbing is not new in this country, but to subject school going children to the environment of a bazaar by taking over the place for learning should have jolted authorities to action already. We strongly urge that the primary education department of the Upazila take swift action to ensure that the playgrounds of the school are reclaimed for the students, and not give in to the power of business at the expense of the children.
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