Barwani (Madhya Pradesh): A government primary school in Jhirpanya Falia village of Barwani district has been operating in a villager's house for the past 10 years, leaving 32 children without a proper school building.
Despite the presence of students and teachers, the lack of infrastructure and facilities has raised concerns about the future of the children.
The school, which was approved in 2011-12, has been running in a kutcha house belonging to Chhagan Singh, a village resident.
"The school has been running in my house for about 10 years," said Chhagan Singh. "My house is completely kutcha and we have been facing numerous challenges due to the lack of a proper school building."
The situation is further complicated by the fact that the school was teacherless until April 1, 2023, when a new teacher, Manoj Mandloi, was recruited.
The villagers have been demanding the construction of a school building for years, but their requests have fallen on deaf ears.
"We demand that the school should be built as soon as possible," said Barka, a villager. "Our children are facing difficulties in studying due to the lack of a proper school building. The current arrangement is not suitable for them."
The kutcha house is prone to waterlogging during heavy rainfall, making it difficult for the children to study. The family living in the house is also facing problems due to the makeshift arrangement.
"We are facing difficulties in teaching and providing mid-day meals to the students," said Manoj Mandloi, the new teacher.
According to reports, an amount of over Rs 5 lakh was allocated to Rosmal gram panchayat for the construction of the school building in 2012-13.
However, the amount was deposited back to the district panchayat due to the lack of access roads to the village. The construction agency claimed that the amount was insufficient to complete the project.
The situation in Barwani highlights the broken education system in the state. The lack of infrastructure and facilities is hindering the growth and development of the children.