Primary school in Jattrapur in shambles

Students from Porerchar Non-government Primary School at Jattrapur union under Kurigram Sadar upazila are facing problems regarding infrastructure, educational equipments and the school's feeding program.

Around 260 students, from underprivileged families in the shoal (char) area, are studying in the school this year, taught by only four teachers.

The school was set up in Muchhulli Para of Porerchar village (an island-char in the Brahmapurta River) of Jattrapur union in 2006, but its educational program started in January, 2008.

These programs are conducted through two shifts in a one-room tin-shed house. Despite being a listed school, the feeding program has not started yet.

The school is listed to be nationalised but this has not taken place yet. Although, the school students have been given free books by the government, Headmaster Abdul Mannan Mia said to The Daily Star.

“Students of the nearest char areas get biscuits and stipend, but we don't. There are insufficient benches as most of them are broken. All school activities come to a halt during the rainy days as the classroom doesn't have walls,” said class-four student Ibrahim Khalil.

“We can't buy blackboards and benches. We haven't been paid any salary for six years. We are expecting donations to buy equipments needed. We do sometimes repair the school and benches when we can with our own money,” said the headmaster.

Assistant District Primary Education Officer Shapon Kumar said that some of the third-phase schools have been taken under the school feeding programme and a process of nationalising the third phase schools is currently ongoing.