JHENIDAH, Nov 14: Students of Purabetai Government Primary School in Jhenidah Sadar have been attending classes in a shed made of the matting of bamboo and corrugated sheets, hampering educational activities.
Established in 2001 at a remote village in Ganna union, 17 km off the uapzila headquarters, the school was nationalised in January, 2013.
A total of 155 students from pre-primary level to class V are studying in the school. Five teachers including three female ones find it very unfavourable to continue classroom activities properly.
Teaching cannot take place smoothly due to lack of availability of required space here.
When four to five teachers need to teach students in classes at a time, which is a regular affair, a chaotic situation arises.
With the approach of the summer season both the teachers and the students undergo tremendous heat in the school shed facing the west. Perspiration trickles down their bodies then, leading to a serious discomfort and education-unfriendly environment.
Rabeya Khatun, a class V student said dew drops fall on the books and writing materials when it is time to attend classes during the winter mornings.
They experience terribly hurting feeling to attend classes all the year round, Rabeya added.
Tonmoy Kumar, a student of class IV said that they always dream of attending classes in a new concrete building where there would be fans and other modern facilities.
Md Anwar Hossain, headmaster of the school said all types of educational activities including holding of examinations to the learners are continuing amid a uncongenial atmosphere here in the school.
"We cannot use education materials in a proper way in the classrooms where there is hardly any extra space to move freely, let alone teaching as it should be," he added.
The school has enough teaching aids which are brought to the classes regularly; but they cannot be used as the classes are conducted in congested spaces.
Although the students go through a very adverse educational ambiance, they come out successfully every year from the school. Cent per cent of them pass while many make brilliant result in the Primary School Certificate exam, Anwar Hossain added.
It is unfortunate that the students are being deprived of learning in a pleasant setting, said president of the school governing body Md Shariful Islam.
"We repeatedly submitted necessary papers to the authority concerned. And recently we also put forward papers to UNO, Sadar for a school building. However, for the reasons unknown to us, we are yet get any building which, we think, is very much needed for our students the predicament," he added.
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