How long must a school suffer?

A photo published recently in this daily shows the dire state of Madhabkati Bilpatiala Government Primary School in Khulna’s Dumuria upazila. The photo shows a classroom where desks are huddled together to create a flat surface for children to attend class, with the teachers sitting on chairs on the elevated surface. The school reportedly remains waterlogged most of the year, including in winter. This daily has brought attention to the state of this school before: in January last year, when teachers and students were seen during a lesson in a waterlogged classroom; in August last year, when the school had been submerged for nearly two months; and in November last year, when the classrooms were flooded with ankle-deep water.

No amount of coverage seems to inspire the local administration to address this crisis. This is especially ironic given that the Dumuria Upazila Parishad is just a 10-minute walk from the school, which should ideally have prompted immediate action. Sadly, that has not been the reality. Instead, the school authorities try to remove the water themselves, which rarely brings lasting relief, as the issue is linked to a broader drainage problem in the area. As reported, many parts of the No-2 Raghunathpur union in Dumuria stay inundated for several months every year. Clogging of the Sholmari River silt, which has severely affected the area’s drainage infrastructure, is considered to be the reason. We wonder why, with a primary diagnosis, so little has been done to address this issue.

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Unfortunately, Madhabkati Bilpatiala Government Primary School is not the only school in this situation. Many schools around the country grapple with waterlogging throughout the year, which often results in prolonged school closures and forces teachers to take lessons on school rooftops or find alternate locations for classes. This not only hampers learning in the short term, but also contributes to school dropouts and leaves students vulnerable to waterborne diseases. Prolonged waterlogging also compromises the structural integrity of the school buildings, making them increasingly hazardous.

We strongly urge the local administration in Dumuria to look into the waterlogging problem in the school and take effective steps to eradicate it. No child deserves to have their precious school years ruined by problems that are entirely solvable with only a little goodwill. Our education system already grapples with an overwhelming number of challenges; it’s never too late to ensure that schools remain places of learning, not survival.