Dilapidated primary school buildings that authorities don’t see

AS per the media reports, students of over 50 schools out of 262 government primary schools in Monirampur Upazila and at other places in Jessore district are attending classes under open sky due to awful condition of their school buildings. They can’t attend classes indoor due to risk of roof collapse. This unpleasant scenario of our primary education illustrates the lack of proper attention to this sector although government is talking loud about achieving big success in primary education.
Its claim that Bangladesh has made significant progress in ensuring access to primary education, gender parity, distribution of text books free of cost every year goes without limit. But despite these claims primary schooling system is still plagued by so many shortcomings in terms of shortage of infrastructure, equipment, dilapidated condition of school buildings and lack of skill based teachers. Experts say the problems are two folds – lack of resources and declining quality of education. The reason for poor quality of schooling also includes shortage of fixed school building at many places. There are instances to show that classes are being held at many places under the shed of trees and it is no secret that in many areas of Manikganj, Comilla and Sirajganj and elsewhere in the country poor condition of school buildings does not allow holding classes for safety reason. Dilapidated buildings spread fear in students and keep them absent from attending classes.
At places also school buildings have broken roof that allow leakage of water in rainy season. What is more surprising is that even after newspaper reports on broken condition of school buildings the government is not taking serious initiative to repair the buildings and where they are quite destroyed steps are also missing to build them. Everybody knows that many schools were gutted by fire during January 5, 2014 Parliamentary Election but most of them are yet to be rehabilitated or thoroughly repaired for use.
Some school teachers were quoted in the report as saying they have raised the issue with the concerned higher authorities demanding new buildings or rehabilitation of old ones. But they are not really concerned about it despite hefty budget in their hands for the purpose. Some Upazila Education Officers reportedly claimed they submitted list of such risky school buildings to higher authorities but actions are not in sight. There is a growing fear that such buildings may collapse with a small jolt and children are attending classes with great risks of their lives. The government is loosing people’s huge money in corruption and misuse of funds but when it comes looking after the public educational institutions, we find the government disappointingly indifferent.