Kids attend classes under open sky as lone classroom collapses

Students of Amtali Shishu Kalyan Primary School in Barguna's Amtali upazila had been attending classes in a dilapidated tin-shed house of Ebatedai ​​Madrasa for long but it collapsed on Wednesday and since then they have been attending classes under the open sky.

Headmaster Sanjida Khanam said Shishu Kalyan Primary School was set up in 2015. Advocate Arif-ul-Hasan, a member of Barguna Zilla Parishad, established the school on his own initiative to educate destitute children in the area. Since then, the school has been operating in the building of local Khontakata Begum Nurjahan Government Primary School and later in the abandoned tin-shed house of Hasania Ebatedai ​​Madrasa in Kalibari village.

The madrasa building has become more vulnerable due to several cyclones. The room of the madrasa collapsed last Wednesday. After the incident, teachers and students of the school became helpless.

The school currently has 119 students, five teachers and one staffer, said the headmaster.

"As there was no school building, we used to take classes in a madrasa room. As the madrasa house collapsed, we are now sitting under a tree and taking classes on the sunny day," she added.

During a visit, this correspondent found the teachers conducting classes at that spot where the madrasa house collapsed on Wednesday.

Saramani, a fifth grader, said "We have to suffer a lot for attending classes under the open sky during rain."

Mahinur Begum, a guardian of the school, said it is very important to build a building here considering the education of the destitute and helpless children.

Founder of the school Arif-ul-Hasan said, "We set up the school to educate distressed children. At present the school does not have a building. If the authorities concerned construct a building here, the children will get the opportunity to learn in a good environment."

Upazila Primary Education Officer Mojibur Rahman said the Shishu Kalyan Primary School needs a building on an emergency basis. Academic activities at the school are being badly hampered due to lack of building.

Amtali Upazila Nirbahi Officer and also the School Management Committee President Kawsar Hossain said recommendations will be sent to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education for immediate construction of the school building.