Thousands of students in Chandpur are being taught in 208 dilapidated government primary school buildings in the eight upazilas of the district, even though the education department has declared the buildings ‘dilapidated, abandoned and risky’.

Official records of the District Primary Education office say there are 33 such rundown and risky school buildings in the rural areas under Chandpur Sadar, 42 in Faridganj, 40 in Hajiganj, 38 in Kochua, 24 in Shahrasti, 20 in Matlab Uttar, 10 in Matlab South, and one in Haimchar upazila.

According to an estimate, on an average, there are at least 400 students in each of these schools. Sadly, these children have no other alternatives as there is acute shortage of classrooms. The situation becomes worse during summer and especially during monsoon.

While visiting Purbo Jafrabad, Paikasta and Uttar Paikasta government primary schools in Chandpur Sadar upazila, Hatirbondho, Darchar and Maalchhoa government primary schools in Kochua upazila and Moiddha Digholdi government primary school in Matlab South upazila, and Chandra Bazar government primary school in Faridganj upazila, this correspondent saw how classes are held in the ramshackle and tumbledown school buildings. Sometimes classes are held in open fields.

Sonia Akter, the head teacher of Moiddha Digholdi government primary school, in Matlab south upazila said: “The government took over the school in 1973 and a building with three classrooms was built in 1995. I have informed the upazila primary education office about the poor state of the building last November. But nothing was done.” In Haimchar upazila, a primary school building was swallowed by the Meghna river about two years ago. Students are now attending the school in a makeshift house, said Md Jashimuddin, the headmaster.

Chandra Bazar government primary school headmaster Md Fakhruddin told this correspondent that even after slight rainfall, classrooms get wet as there are cracks on the roofs. Mithun Mandal, the head teacher of Teetarkandi government primary school in Matlab Uttar upazila, said the school building was declared ‘abandoned’ five years ago. “We’re forced to take classes under the open sky. Now, a shanty has been set up for holding classes,” he added.

Head teachers of Ludhua government Primary school in the same upazila and Uttar Moishadi government Primary School under Chandpur Sadar upazila also told how risky it was to take classes in the dilapidated buildings.

Almost all headmasters said they had informed the higher authorities about the sorry state of their school buildings and the agony of children and teachers. When contacted, district primary education officer Md Khorshed Alam said he had already informed the authorities concerned about these rundown school buildings on April 18 this year. He expressed hope that the government would take necessary steps soon.