Learning faces setback

Pursuing primary education in Moulvibazar's Rajnagar upazila is an increasingly risky venture. Classroom buildings in six primary schools within the upazila are seriously derelict, with fears they may collapse at any time, with potentially catastrophic results. Buildings a further 21 primary schools of the total of 139 primary schools in the upazila are also in various degrees of unsafe disrepair.

"Our school building is very old," says Sarompur Government Primary School headmistress Jahanara Begum. "Its present condition is even worse due to the low quality materials used in its construction." According to Jahanara, the current building has become totally irreparable, with no alternative than to construct a new building altogether.

Sarompur has been identified as the least safe of the six schools where dilapidated infrastructure poses the greatest risk. The others are Mohonlal Balik, Khemsohosro, Debipur, Rampur Balok and Unoasi Nowagaon primaries.

"The number of students attending our school has fallen significantly," says Jahanara. "Many guardians do not feel comfortable sending their children here, fearing fatal consequences."

At most of the 27 schools ceilings, pillars and walls have worrying cracks, plaster is falling apart and water leaks through roofs. According to sources some of the buildings concerned were constructed prior to the nation's independence and neither school nor administrative authorities are known to have renovated any building since.

At Sarompur in addition to cracks large rust patches are observable on doors and windows, caused by a lack of maintenance work; when it rains water seeps through the cracks and broken windowpanes.

The upazila's primary education officer Hemendra Chandra Debnath notes that the safety issue at all the schools concerned has been raised with higher authorities. "The list of 27 risky schools and six extremely risky buildings was compiled by the upazila engineering department," he says.

Rajnagor upazila's public engineer Mohammed Rubayet Jaman says the list was sent to the education ministry requesting urgent repairs. "But we didn't get any budget for repair work at these 27 schools," he says.