Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Apr 7: The building of Bangabettu higher primary school in Mijar, located by the side of Moodbidri-Mangalore highway, is 88 years old. As the school building has not been maintained properly, the walls of the school building are posing the danger of caving in anytime. The students who study in the classrooms always have a fear lurking in their minds, of the building coming crashing down on them any moment.

Unless immediate steps are taken for repair and restoration work for the building, the walls of the school, which display ominous signs of crumbling during the coming monsoon season, will continue to pose a threat to the lives of the students and teachers alike.

This is the condition of a school that is bracing up to celebrate the centenary year of its inception in 12 years from now. The school, located about five km from the town, and which helped scores of students to shape their lives and move up, has been in a dilapidated state because of non-maintenance. The school premises, spread over 83 cents of land, has buildings on all the four directions of the site. The building with mud walls built in 1926 is one among them. Even cemented walls of the buildings, which came up later, because of substandard works, have cracks in them. Termites have weakened the walls at various places, and the walls of this building have several gaping cracks. The wooden beams and pieces holding the roof are very old, several tiles are missing, and the tiles which remain on the roof are sure to fly away if there is strong wind.

During the last rainy season, the branch of a nearby tree had fallen on the school roof, and it took months to remove it. A banyan tree growing on one portion of the school is touching the wall and tiles of the school building. Unless this tree is removed by the forest department, the tree will create further problems to the school building. Termites have eaten up wooden beams of the windows many of which have been broken. The twisted wires of the mesh fitted to these windows have come off, and this rusted metal poses danger of injuring the students. The walls do not have any paint on them now. It must have been decades since these walls were painted.

The Akshara Dasoha building, a laboratory, library and Anganwadi centre are located in the western side. If the old mud structure is demolished, it would be easier for the children to move about. At present, the children are forced to use a small lane to move between these buildings. The Anganwadi centre building too is in a bad shape, and the school does not have proper toilet facility.

As the school has over 300 students, the school needs enough space to hold programmes on days of national importance, drill, etc. If the old building is removed, the children will get a space measuring around 6,000 sft at a single place, which can also serve as playground. If repairs are not conducted before the rainy season, it may pose dangers. If the buildings are repaired, teachers and students can get a place where their mental peace is not disturbed. If the school buildings are in a better shape, more parents may come forward to admit their children here. The school also has the potential to start English medium classes and computer training facility. If the department wakes up to the needs of the school and attends to the above requirements, Bangabettu school is sure to turn into a model school.

Fatima, a student, said that the students always are haunted by fear because of the dilapidated building. Headmaster, Narayana M, too feels that repairing of the school building is a must for improving the standard of the school and increase the number of students.