Risky schoolhouse hampers academic activities

The concrete structure of Sarotia Gazi Government Primary School in Nagarpur upazila has remained in dilapidated condition for long, leaving academic activities of around 150 students of the institution in uncertainty.

The primary school, situated at Sarotia Gazi village under Doptior union in the upazila, was established in 1938 in a tin roof structure.

Later, Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) constructed a concrete schoolhouse there in 2008.

School authorities said the soil of the school ground was washed away due to onrush of flood water in 2016 which created a pond like large ditch in front of the school building.

Later, couple of class rooms of the school collapsed into the ditch. Since then teachers stopped taking classes in the risky building, hampering academic activities of the students, they said.

Moreover, students of the institution have been deprived of all kinds of sports since the playground in front of the school building turned into a ditch.

However, academic activities of the students continued in the old structure of institution and another building of an adjacent hafizia madrasa temporarily till school was closed due to the outbreak of coronavirus, they added.

Meanwhile, the condition of the school building and the playground turned more risky due to last year's flood as well as heavy downpour this year, they further said.

Amirul Islam Alok, a guardian and a resident of Sarotia Gazi village, said although the school remain closed for the last one and a half years due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it may reopen anytime.

If the school reopens within a short time it won't be possible to hold classes in the risky school building, he said. 

Morshed Alam, headmaster of the school, fears that the entire structures of the school might collapse on the large ditch during the ongoing monsoon. 

"We have informed the authorities concerned on several occasions to take immediate step to save the schoolhouse from total collapse, but no step has been taken yet," the headmaster added.

Doptior Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Firoz Siddique said he urged the authorities concerned to take urgent steps to save the school building, considering the future of the school kids.

Nagarpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sifat-e-Jahan said she will take necessary initiatives to save the schoolhouse from collapse.

If the decision to reopen the schools comes immediately, steps will be taken to continue the academic activities of the students in alternative ways, she added.