Raichur, 11 September

Nearly one-and-a-half years after the dilapidated classrooms of the Government Higher Primary School in Askihal village on the outskirts of Raichur city were demolished, reconstruction work is yet to begin. With a shortage of classrooms, children are forced to attend classes in the open.

Around 190 students are enrolled in the primary and high primary school. As the available high school classrooms are insufficient, primary classes are being conducted outdoors. The unsafe classrooms were demolished around one-and-a-half years ago citing safety reasons, but no new classrooms have been constructed so far.

Due to the shortage of classrooms, the school is functioning in two shifts. High school students attend classes from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm, while primary school students attend from 1 pm to 5 pm and are made to attend classes in the open.

Parents have alleged students are compelled to sit through classes in scorching heat and rain, while also facing the risk of snakes, scorpions and other poisonous creatures, as the school is on the outskirts surrounded by open land.

Raichur Deputy Director of Public Instruction Mallikarjun, told Salar News, “A proposal has been submitted for the construction of new classrooms. We have appealed to the Zilla Panchayat to provide portable classrooms or container classrooms as a temporary arrangement."

Basavaraj, social activist and villager, said, “A laboratory and library should also be established at the school. If these demands are not fulfilled, villagers, parents and students will launch a large-scale protest in the coming days.”

Raichur City MLA S Shivaraj Patil told Salar News, “Funds have been sanctioned by the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board, and the school construction work will start shortly.”