Children have to sit in veranda of the Koyyathoppu Panchayat Union Elementary School in Athavathur panchayat in Tiruchi district because of shortage of space.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Koyyathoppu Panchayat Union Elementary School in Athavathur Panchayat, a 64-year-old institution, faces significant infrastructure challenges notwithstanding the construction of a new building this year. With support from Member of Legislative Assembly Constituency Development Scheme of Srirangam MLA M. Palaniyandi, the new building, which came up at a cost of ₹31 lakhs, was inaugurated recently.
The school has only two functional classrooms and three teachers. Teachers conduct two classes simultaneously in one room. In another room, lessons are taken for Classes I, II and III simultaneously. The school does not have a playground, a compound wall, and sufficient number of toilets for 58 children.
“This is a legacy school, but poor planning in the new building’s construction has affected the students. Dedicated teachers are constrained by inadequate infrastructure, forcing children to play in the veranda. This can be dangerous as it is close to the road,” said a villager in Koyyathoppu.
“Lack of privacy and space has affected the quality of teaching. Children sometimes have to sit on the floor outside the classroom. A decade ago, the school had over 100 children, but declining infrastructure has led to a drop in enrolment. Attempts to create makeshift dividers for privacy have not succeeded in the new building,” said Vayalur N. Rajendran of the Tamil Maanila Congress.
Mr. Rajendran stressed on the need to allot panchayat’s poramboke land for the school’s welfare. He urged the School Education Department to inspect the premises and propose necessary improvements to the government.
Athavathur Panchayat president K. Thanalakshmi said work had been taken up to build a playground on a 10,000 s. ft. plot about half a km away from the school under the MGNREGA. Despite the new building, the school still needs budgetary support from the School Education Department and the government to meet its requirements.
A senior official told The Hindu that they had not received any petition from the panchayat in this regard. However, they would look into the matter, he added.