A panchayat union middle school needs expansion and other basic facilities as about 150 students have to study, eat, play and move around in a small area measuring less than 2,000 sq.ft.
A tiny gate that can’t allow more than a person at a time leads to the school at Bharathi Nagar. The school, which has three buildings, has been conducting classes from one to eight. Since separate classrooms are not available, some classes are conducted together in a building while some are held in the verandah also.
There are computers and equipment for science subjects but there is no separate room to display them. Teachers have to take them out carefully, conduct classes and put them back in a safe place.
There are adequate number of teachers but the workload is too much to handle.
There is a building for preparing mid-day meals but there is no room for dining. Though a request was made for construction of toilet facilities in proportion to the number of students, only renovation of existing toilets has been approved.
Besides, a drainage channel runs right next to the school posing a health hazard to students. It has earned a sobriquet ‘vaikkal school.’ In times of emergency, evacuation would be difficult because of the narrow exit.
Further, there is no space for the students to gather for morning prayers.
The school, which was in a panchayat, has come under corporation limits recently.
But it has not brought any relief to the institution. At a time when many corporation schools, even with less than 10 students, are renovated or chosen for an improvement under Smart Cities Mission, local residents say that this school has been neglected though it deserves expansion and enhancement of basic facilities in every respect.