A tale of two schools: One privileged, another neglected

The BBMP Girls’ School and Composite PU College in Jogupalya, Ulsoor, is unlike many institutions run by the civic body. It has clean toilets and e-learning implements. But the boys’ school, located just a stone’s throwaway, is not as lucky.

A casual stroll into the boys’ school reveals a number of grave needs. To begin with, the toilets are just unusable. Just walk towards it and an unbearable stench would shackle your feet.

“Students don’t use the school toilet. They prefer going outside. Those living close-by go home. The taps are broken and haven’t been repaired for years now,” said a staff member. A primary school functions on the same campus. “Students from both the sections have to use the toilet. But children from the primary section urinate on the school’s wall. They don’t want to use the toilet.”

Another major need is water supply, both for cleaning and drinking purpose.

“We get water but it’s dirty and the supply highly irregular. We can’t use it for any purpose,” another staff member said. The school building needs a fresh coat of paint, which has been overdue for many years. “Broken tiles need to be repaired too.”

While school authorities have written to the BBMP many times and even brought the matter to the attention of the local corporator, nothing productive has come out of that. “They just come and inspect the place but we hear nothing from them after that,” according to the staff member.

In contrast, the girls’ school has been provided with clean toilets and e-learning implements by the Rotary Cantonment Bangalore and the Israeli consulate. The school’s results in SSLC and PUC exams are commendable, with three students scoring around 90 per cent. It has around 400 girls, and according to its principal, Harish Kumar, there are talks of starting a first-grade college within the campus.

But just five out of the 20 students in class 10 at the boys’ school took the SSLC exams. In the primary section, there are around 70 students. “We urgently need the help, be it from the government or anyone else,” a staff member said.

The Ulsoor chapter of Bangalore Rotary Club has helped the school with books and mid-day meal plates, but a lot still needs to be done.