Galachipa school building on the verge of collapse
Students attend classes risking their lives as the building is unfit for use
Around 700 students of Ratanditaltali High School in Galachipa upazila in the district are attending classes at great risk as the building has become unfit for use due to lack of renovation.
Cracks have developed at many places on the roof, walls, stairs and pillars in the one-storey building, while the science building has already been declared unusable.
Ratanditaltali High School was set up in 1973 in a tin-shed. From the beginning, the school earned fame for its academic achievements and the number of students is growing.
The Education Engineering Department (EED) built a one-storey building with three rooms in 1997. Later on, Patuakhali district council built three more rooms, but that did not solve the accommodation crisis. The school authorities built a tin-shed where classes are held. The science building has become unfit for use.
Nahida Akhter, a Class IX student, said they are afraid to attend classes as the condition of the building is very bad.
Rainwater enters the classroom through the ceiling and they and their books get wet, she added.
Sumaiya Akhter of Class X said the science building is unusable and they cannot study the science subjects properly.
Science teacher Arun Kanti Hawlader said there are 200 students in science group, but their academic activities are greatly hampered as the science building is unfit for use.
“We somehow manage to take classes in the tin-shed,” he added.
Headmaster Md Zakir Hossain said they have to take classes in the vulnerable building at great risk due to the accommodation crisis.
School Managing Committee Chairman Md Harun-ur-Rashid said they sent several letters to the higher authorities, including the education minister and the chief engineer of EED, but in vain.
Executive Engineer of EED Md Asaduzzaman said they will start renovation work after getting allocation.