Basic Education students to start academic session in unsafe schools

Agra: Students at Basic Education schools will start their new academic session from April 2 in old, dilapidated buildings, which are often unsafe. These schools lack basic amenities like drinking water, electricity etc.
Of the 166 Basic Education schools in Agra, nearly 25 either have a dilapidated structure or have only one room for an entire school.Some five schools, including the primary schools in Radha Nagar in Balkeshwar, Narain builing in Jagdishpura and Gobar Chowki are rented spaces and students here study under the open sky.
The Basai Khurd school in Tajganj locality, the primary and upper primary schools in Bhairon Nala locality, Wazirpura, Billochpura, Balak Vidhyalay in Jagdishpura and the primary school in Saunf ki Mandi etc. are unsafe for students.
A teacher from Basai Khurd, who refused to be named, said she was forced to teach students in a broken building and complaints about the matter had fallen on deaf ears. The head teacher of a Girls Junior High School in Idgah locality, Nidhi Srivastav, said she had to clean up empty liquor bottles and glasses when she arrived to school in the morning left by local rowdies the night before. “Miscreants roam around the school even during school hours and pass comments when I teach. They play cards, drink alcohol and then leave the empty bottles and glasses in the school premises.”
Speaking to TOI about the issue of unsafe schools, basic siksha adhikari (BSA) Archana Gupta said, “I will apprise the district magistrate of the matter, only then will action be taken in this regard.”
There are around 2 lakh 34 thousand students enrolled with the basic Education department in Agra. Apart from the menace of the buildings, the students will also have to do without new textbooks or uniforms. The head teacher of a primary school in Nala Budaan, Rajeev Verma said, “In Agra, all students will have to use old textbooks as the department has not provided any ones. Educational officials have directed students to borrow textbooks from their seniors."