GIRLS SCHOOL OPERATING SINCE LAST 39 YEARS SANS BUILDING
SAMBALPUR: Ever heard of a mobile school which gas to change premises even after 39 years since it came into existence. Even as Chief Minister declared sops for teachers on Teachers’ Day, education continues to suffer in absence of infrastructure. Although the much-hyped SSA promises a lot, visit to Balibandha Girls’ High School (BGHS) presents a dismal picture.
Situated in the premises of Parsuram Mishra Institute of Advanced Studies (PMIAS) in Sambalpur town, the 39 years old school lacks own building besides no adequate classrooms for the students. Surprisingly, due to lack of classroom the teachers are forced to take classes under trees in the PMIAS premises. The PMIAS authorities have provided only two rooms for functioning of the school. Add more to the woes, Class IX and Class X are running in a single room with plywood partition in the middle. And students and teachers as well have to face difficult times as noise erupted from both the classes create disturbances in study.
Of the total 332 students in BGHS, 84 students are studying in Class X, 112 girls are pursuing their study in Class IX whereas there are 136 students in Class VIII. Interestingly, Class VIII has been divided into three sections while two sections each have been created in Class IX and Class X in pen and paper. Actually, there is no section in any classes of BGHS due to lack of classrooms. However, the students have to face problems a lot during the periods of optional subjects due to inadequate classrooms. The helpless teachers are forced to take optional classes under the trees to carry on the timely completion of courses.
It all began when the school was started in 1968 Bijepur now in Bargarh district. But in absence of much of students, it was shifted to Sambalpur in 1968 and the classes were held in the morning in the Lady Lewis Girls’ School (LLGS) to ensure that the curriculum of the host school is not disturbed. It was named Balibandha Girls’ High School (BGHS) till LLGS had problems as classes are held early in the morning during summer and BGHS was shifted to Patnagarh Palace. After operating here for sometime the building was found tobe unsafe and the school was again shifted to rented premises in Mudipada. At long last it was resettled in the PMIAS in 1992 and since then it has been operating here. However, now the PMIAS has expressed its desire to use the two rooms it had handed over to the school, the school is on look out for a new premise.
And while the school remains on its toes, the school authorities have suspended the classes of Class VII and IX keeping an eye on the Pre-test examination of Class X, which started on Thursday.
Contacted Headmistress Surekha Mishra of the BGHS said we have suspended the classes unwillingly due to shortage of classrooms for conducting the examination. She said that it was difficult to teach students under tree, yet they have no other way out. Repeated efforts to contact CI of School Prakash Joshi provided futile as his mobile phone no. 9437963176 remained switched off all the time.