Learners, teachers at risk

Risking their lives, over 336 students are attending classes at Uttar Char Jabbar Government Primary School in Subarnachar upazila of the district, as the school building is in a dilapidated state and may collapse any time.

Headmaster of the school Mohammad Amin Ullah said the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) declared the school abandoned in 2012 due to its terrible condition and informed the higher authorities.

"However, for the lack of alternative arrangement, we have been continuing classes in the risky building, taking the future of the students into consideration," the headmaster added.  

In a recent visit to the school, it was seen that plaster at many places of the building had fallen off and water entered the building during the rainy season. The heavy monsoon of last year made the roof damp and the doors and windows are broken.

In spite of the awful condition of the one-storey building, classes are being held in every classroom, with 65 to 85 students in each room.

The children cannot concentrate on their studies as they are afraid that the building might collapse anytime, Abul Karim, a guardian, said.

Subarnachar Upazila Primary Education Officer Mohammad Rezaul Karim said construction of a new school building, which has been included under a World Bank project, will begin after completion of soil test and planning.

Engineer of Noakhali LGED MA Sattar said they are waiting for approval of the proposal.