West Dhupoti Primary School Students Endure Tin-Shed Classrooms for 10 Years Without a School Building

Jahangir Kabir Mridha, Barguna

West Dhupti Government Primary School in Gourichanna Union, Barguna Sadar Upazila, has had no permanent building for a decade. Classes run in tin sheds. The rooms get very hot in summer, and rain causes trouble. A big canal beside the school and a muddy entry path also worry people about the safety of students and teachers.

In these conditions, 130 students and their teachers keep the school running. Parents, students, teachers and local people formed a human chain yesterday. They demanded a permanent building and other basic improvements. The programme lasted one hour and began at 10 am in the school grounds.

The protesters made four demands. They want a new school building built quickly and a safe entry path made. They also want a boundary wall built around the school. Their last demand is a combined cyclone shelter and school building, which would give people shelter during disasters.

Locals say the government set up the school in 1943. It has given the children of the area primary education for a long time. The old building fell into bad shape, so the education department tore it down through a tender about 10 years ago. No one built a permanent building after that.

The school then made other plans for classes. About five years ago, workers built two tin sheds with four rooms in all. The school still runs on this temporary structure. Teachers use one room as their office, and the other three rooms hold all the students. The school splits the students into two groups to fit them in.

Locals say this causes a shortage of classrooms and disturbs normal teaching. They say the school has no proper classroom space for 130 students. The tin sheds also trouble the students in hot weather. When the sun heats the rooms, it becomes hard to sit and study. People involved say some students fall sick.

Parents say the school needs a proper building so students can learn in comfort and pay attention. The road to the school is also a problem. The entry road is muddy, so mud and water make walking hard when it rains. Students, teachers and parents all suffer. Locals say small children face a risk of accidents on their way to and from school.

They want the school path repaired quickly. A large canal runs beside the school, and the school has no boundary wall. Parents say students could wander toward the canal. They fear a child could fall in while playing or in a careless moment. They demand a boundary wall around the school and a safe barrier along the risky edge of the canal.

Locals who joined the human chain say the school has plenty of space. They say a school building and a cyclone shelter can both fit there if the authorities plan well. They believe the authorities must think about disaster safety in this coastal area, along with a building fit for teaching.

Locals say a combined cyclone shelter and school building in West Dhupti would give students a safe place to study. During cyclones and tidal surges, people nearby could also take shelter there. Parents say no cyclone shelter stands within about two and a half kilometres of the area. In a disaster, local people must travel to a far shelter.

This makes life harder for women, children, old people and sick people. Locals say a coastal area needs safe shelters to face disasters. They say the school has enough space, yet it has no permanent building or shelter. So students and local residents miss out on needed facilities. They believe the problem can be solved if the authorities visit the school and act.

Parents say students at a government primary school set up in 1943 have studied in temporary tin sheds for a long time. Without a permanent building, students must study in a limited and unsuitable place. They urged the authorities to act quickly to improve the school’s infrastructure.

At the human chain, speakers called on the relevant government offices, the local administration and the education department to act fast. They asked for a permanent school building at West Dhupti Government Primary School. They also asked for a combined cyclone shelter and school building, a boundary wall, and a road fit for travel to the school.

Locals hope the authorities will consider their demands and take the steps needed. They demand a safe building for the school and a shelter for the people of this disaster prone area.