PONDA: Over 200 students who had boycotted classes last week at Dhavshire, Usgao due to poor infrastructure attended the first day in the unfurnished school building by sitting on the floor while some students were moved to the school verandah.
According to teachers, due to the renovation work and non-availability of benches, they were forced to conduct the classes in the verandah of the school.
It is learnt that some classrooms are yet to be cleaned and at present two classrooms are occupied by pre-primary section. But students are willing to adjust to this situation and so do teachers.
PTA chairman Pran Gaude said that classes for the primary students are conducted in the two classrooms while some classrooms are yet to be furnished. Earlier, pre-primary classes were conducted in the evening. But after shifting the classes into the private residential building, primary classes are conducted in the morning. The head of the primary school has refused to change the school timing without a proper order from the authorities. This issue will be sorted out soon with the education director, heads of pre-primary and primary school, said Gaude.
When asked about the unavailability of desks/benches, Gaude said that the school authorities did not make any efforts to move the desks/ benches back into the renovated building. He said that the PTA members will arrange the same within a day.
When contacted, headmaster of Dhavsire Usgao Government School Anthony Braganza refused to comment. According to an official from the education department, headmaster Braganza has been given additional charge of one more government school in Ponda.
It may be recalled that around 200 students of the government school at Dhavshire Usgao had boycotted classes being conducted at an under-construction residential building, protesting against the pathetic classroom since last Thursday. The education director Gajanan Bhat and deputy director Ramkrishna Samant had assured the students on Friday that classes will be conducted in the renovated school building from February 20.
From April, 2016, classes for Classes V-X 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 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.