JOIN USDakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Upgraded Higher Primary School at Anaru in Patrame village of Belthangady taluk lacks classrooms and classes are conducted in the storeroom, Ranga Mandira and office room.
The school was started in 1954 in the courtyard of a temple in Patrame. With the efforts of the villagers, a building was constructed with a mud wall on three acres of land. Later, three classrooms were sanctioned in 1956, 1975 and 1985 to the school. After that, no classrooms were sanctioned to the school.
A classroom that was constructed in 1985 collapsed four years ago. The wall of the classroom that was constructed in 1975, started developing cracks since 2011 and finally collapsed on July 25, following heavy rain.
Now, the school has one classroom that was constructed in 1956. Three classes including Nali-Kali classes are held in a single classroom. “Even this classroom has developed cracks. We are scared to make children sit inside it. We have appealed for the sanction of a new building,” said the SDMC members.
The storeroom constructed under Akshara Dasoha scheme has been converted into a classroom where classes are conducted for class 4 students. The students have to sit amid bags of rice. Class 7 is conducted in the Ranga Mandira while class 8 in the school office. The school is one of the main schools in the village. It had over 200 students in the past. With the lack of facilities haunting the school, the number of children started dwindling over a period of time. Now, there are 67 children pursuing their studies, said parents of students here.
DDPI Y Shivaramayya said, “I have visited and inspected Patrame school. A few school buildings have been sanctioned to the district. The construction of classrooms to this school has been included in the priority list.”
SDMC President Shyamaraj said, “We have been appealing to the elected representatives and the officials to sanction a classroom to the school. Though officials informed us that two classrooms were sanctioned in 2017-18, later we realised that it has been shifted to another school.”