Chuadanga school holds classes under open sky

Around 200 students of Minajpur Government Primary School in Jibannagar upazila have been forced to attend classes under the open sky and in the veranda due to a severe shortage of classrooms.

The situation becomes particularly difficult during the rainy season.

Even light rain forces teachers to stop lessons, while students often rush home with their books and notebooks to keep them dry.

Established in 1968 and nationalised in 1973, the school had a three-room building that was declared risky in 2021. The building was auctioned and demolished in 2024, but construction of a replacement building has yet to begin, reports UNB.

The school now has only two usable classrooms for students from Classes I to V. Since there is not enough space for all five classes, students of three classes are taught in the veranda or in the open.

School Management Committee President Abul Kalam said the lack of classrooms seriously disrupts teaching and creates an unsafe learning environment.

He urged the authorities to construct a new three-room building without further delay.

Guardian Saad Ahmed said students are being forced to attend classes in the sun, rain and storms, causing both physical hardship and disruption to their education.

He demanded that a new building be arranged quickly so that the children can be taught in a normal environment.

Headmaster Nasima Khatun said the school once had more than 350 students and 10 teachers. The number of students has gradually fallen to around 200 since the old building was declared unsafe.

“When it rains, students get wet, classes stop, and they are sent home,” she said.

She alleged that several applications for the construction of a new building have been made to the local parliamentarian, secretariat and various concerned departments. But no effective initiative has been taken so far.

She strongly appealed to the authorities concerned to quickly construct a new building in the interest of the students.

Jibannagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sumaiya Sultana Annie said an allocation has already been sought in the current fiscal year for construction of a new building.

“Construction will begin once the allocation is received,” she said.

She added that a separate allocation had also been sought to provide temporary protection from rain and storms. Initially, a tin-shed structure will be built to provide students with a safer place for classes.

Local residents and guardians now hope the authorities will take swift action to end the prolonged classroom crisis and ensure a safe learning environment for the children.