Cracks on walls force students of 100-year-old government school in Puttur out of classrooms during heavy rain

Cracks began to appear on the walls of the classrooms in 2022. The matter was raised in the grama sabha. and later before the Block Education Officer, Puttur tahsildar and government engineers who visited the school. Karnataka government sanctioned ₹2 lakh, using which the roof of the building was repaired.

The 74 students of Government Higher Primary School at Ariyadka in Puttur taluk of Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka have been forced to study in the function hall and also in the smart classroom in the new office building during heavy rain. It is because walls of five classrooms in the 100-year-old school building have developed cracks.

“As is it really unsafe for children to study in these old classrooms, we asked teachers to shift them to the hall and to the smart classroom during heavy rain. Students from class 1 to 5 have been studying in the hall while those in classes 6 and 7 study in the smart classroom during the last two days as there was heavy rain,” president of School’s Development and Monitoring Committee Mohammed Haneef told The Hindu.

Cracks began to appear on the walls of the classrooms in 2022. The matter was raised in the grama sabha. and later before the Block Education Officer, Puttur tahsildar and government engineers who visited the school. The government sanctioned ₹2 lakh, using which the roof of the building was repaired.

“The cracks began to widen recently. Following advice of the Block Education Officer, teachers have been holding classes in the hall and in the smart classroom during heavy rain,” said Mr. Haneef, whose children are in classes 2 and 6.

As many as 62 students came to the school on July 22, while 45 students attended on July 24, when there was heavy rain in the coastal belt.

“Some of the parents refuse to send their children to the school during heavy rains because of the dilapidated condition of classrooms,” Mr. Hanif said.

Some SDMC members called Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai, who visited the school on July 24 evening.