PONDA: Education director Gajanan Bhat and deputy director Ramkrishna Samant, on Friday, assured the students of government school at Dhavshire-Usgao that their classes would be held in the renovated school building from Monday (February 20).
Around 200 students of the government school on Thursday had boycotted the classes being conducted at an under-construction residential building, protesting the pathetic classroom conditions.
Their parents also had joined them in the protest.
During the meeting held with the delegation of PTA at Porvorim on Thursday, Bhat had sought seven-days’ time to resolve the issue, and had assured to complete the pending school building renovation work within 7 days.
The PTA members had agreed to allow 7 days’ time to the director to complete the renovation work, but on Friday morning the students again refused to attend the classes being conducted at the underconstruction residential building, and gathered with their parents near the school building at around 8 am.
Upon being informed that the students have refused to attend the classes, Bhat and Samant rushed to the school premises, and addressed the students.
The director assured the students that the classes would be held in the renovated school building from Monday, and asked them to cooperate.
Students not attending the classes on Saturday won’t be marked absent, he added.
When contacted, the education director said that “the issue has been resolved, and from Monday classes will be conducted in the school premises that is being renovated.”
“Looking at the students’ disinclination in attending the classes being conducted at the residential building, we decided to start the classes as early as possible in the school premises. Students have assured to cooperate with the department in having classes in the classrooms, which are yet to be furnished. So, classes will be held from Monday in the renovated school premises,” he said.
PTA members said that they are satisfied with the director’s assurance to them, and they are ready to co-operate.
From April, 2016, classes for Std 5-10 were being conducted at the under-construction residential building.
Renovation of the school building was undertaken at an estimated cost of around Rs 1.8 crore, and was scheduled to be completed in six months, but even after 10 months of undertaking the renovation, the work is still not completed.
It is learnt that 90 per cent of the renovation work has been completed, and the GSIDC is dilly-dallying in providing finishing touches to the school building.
Accusing the GSIDC of delaying the completion of the renovation, and citing negligence on the part of the Directorate of Education, the students had boycotted the classes in protest.