A school for char kids heads for nowhere

Two kids look through a big hole developed on the tinned wall of Nodi O Jibon Junior High School in Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat. Photo: Star

Nodi O Jibon Junior High School, which was set up in Kaliganj upazila in 2008 to educate the char children in Teesta River basin, is now struggling for survival.

Eight teachers have been teaching the students at the school since its opening, but they are not getting any salaries as the school was not put under the Monthly Payment Order (MPO).

Also due to lack of maintenance, most of the classrooms have worn away and the students are still studying there risking accidents as it is the lone school for kids of five char areas.

Locals said, to educate the char children, especially girls, the school was established with the help of an NGO, Own Village Advancement. Funded jointly by three other NGOs, the name of the school was given by BB Governor Dr Atiur Rahman.

"Before setting up this school, our wards did not get education opportunity at high schools or colleges, as it was not possible for the char children to go the mainland by walking at least seven kilometers of sandy land," said farmer Nabir Hossain at Char Sholmari of the upazila.

The school, set up in 2008 by NGOs in Teesta River basin to educate char children, is now in a deplorable state due to lack of maintenance. Photo: Star

"Our classrooms are getting damaged due to lack of maintenance. During the rainy season we face untold sufferings as rainwater directly falls on our books in the classrooms", said class seven student Ruma Akhter.

Local union parishad (UP) member Akbar Ali said, "We are trying to construct an academic building for the school and also contacting high officials for MPO".

Headmaster of the school Hasan Masud said, all the teachers of the school have been living a sub-human life as they are passing days without any salaries since the school was set up in 2008.

"Now at least 300 students, most of them girls, are reading in the school," he said, urging the authorities concerned for helping them to run the school properly.