A video on social media, that immediately went viral, showed children from the school huddled towards one section that still had parts of the original roof while a teacher continued to impart education to them. On the other side, rain water can clearly be seen falling within the classroom
From Our Correspondent
TURA, June 28: Continuing the sage of institutional neglect, another school, this time from the Raksamgre Civil Sub Division in the district of West Garo Hills (WGH), has once again shown education in very poor light in Meghalaya and the Garo Hills region in particular.
This is the latest case of the Chanaramgre Government LP School, which has remained without a roof for the past four years with students having to make do with the little space that still remains covered.
The sad situation of the school was brought to light after members of a CSO, Garo Omniscience for Ethnic and Renaissance and Awakening (GOERA) paid a visit to the school on Friday, after being informed of the situation.
The Chenaramgre School, as per locals, has at least 30 students and two teachers that impart education. Recently a video on social media, that immediately went viral, showed children from the school huddled towards one section that still had parts of the original roof while a teacher continued to impart education to them. On the other side, rain water can clearly be seen falling within the classroom.
“You can see sunlight during normal days and take a shower in the rain when it pours down. In case of a heavy downpour, the children and teachers have literally no way to escape. Protecting their belongings becomes a top priority but even that is difficult during a full-fledged rain. Despite the hardship, both the educators and the students still turn up every time in their quest for knowledge,” said Thomas Marak, president of GOERA.
During the visit by the CSO’s local unit, the teachers stated that the roof of the room was blown away during a storm more than 4 years ago. They have, on multiple occasions, informed authorities from the education department on the condition of the school and requested assistance to repair the school. However, as has been seen on countless occasions, the department continues to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to their appeals.
“The absence of a proper rooftop raises serious questions on the safety of students and teachers alike. Our team visited the school to see firsthand and to highlight the infrastructure needs of the school. We want to highlight the plight of the school to ensure these infrastructural challenges are met by the department and the state. These scenes are a shock to everyone and we appeal that necessary action is taken on an immediate basis,” asserted Thomas.