Zila school exists only on paper

FORBESGANJ: Not only all the students but also the principal and a number of other teachers of Shanti Devi Dheer Narayan Government High School in Forbesganj were found to be absent from the school when sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) M M Zeya made a surprise inspection recently.
At the time of inspection, only three teachers were present in the school which has got the status of a zila school.Its only clerk and peon were also found to be absent.
The SDM, in his report to Araria DM Mani Kant Azad, said that the school seems to be running on paper only and that a large number of the local people do not even know that a zila school is being run in the town.
He recommended a stern action against the erring teachers and other staff members as the very purpose of the government to establish a zila school is defeated due to them.
On the basis of the SDM’s report, the Araria DM, in a letter to the director of secondary education, has narrated the deplorable condition of the school and recommended for suspension of the erring teachers and other staff members and a departmental inquiry against them.
Founded in 1987, the school has got only two rooms and an equal number of half-constructed rooms which have been roofless for the last 14 years. The absence of any toilet in the school forced girl students to quit the institution.
The SDM, in course of his inspection, apprehended gross irregularities in the construction work as building materials brought to the school campus in 2001 simply disappeared.
Earlier, late R Lall, MLC, had allotted Rs 20,000 to the school for the construction of toilets but the work was never taken up. The school has no boundary wall.
In course of the inspection, attendance registers, emergency leave register and other records were not shown to the SDM. He was told that the principal was not present and the keys of the locks were with him.
Only one register was available which contained the names of 116 students of class VIII.
The SDM, in his report, said that the help of the local people is needed for the renovation of the school.