Crumbling infrastructure, grounds that double up as dumping grounds for the neighbourhood, strangers loitering on campus — for children studying in government schools, homework and heavy bags are the least of their worries.
At DJ Halli Urdu Medium High School, morning prayers are sometimes interrupted by catcalls from men who jump the fence to enter the campus. "The men tease us and sit in the campus like it belongs to them," said Syeda Fatima, a class 10 student. Her classmates complain of strange men loitering in the campus and playing in the ground even while they are in the classrooms.
"Every day, I have to call the police when strangers jump inside the campus. Even the guards are scared to stay here at night because men from the neighbourhood walk in with knives and sticks, and consume liquor here," says Sahira Banu, headmistress of the school. Around 400 students are on the rolls of the high school and another 2,000 in the primary school and PU college in the campus.
The school was in the news in 2014 after 350 students fell sick after consuming the midday meal. At that time, the school had insufficient toilets; neighbours would dump garbage inside the campus. Since then, a block of toilets has been built while officials are in the process of constructing more, but there is no let up on garbage dumping. "Neighbours treat this area like a dumping ground," says Ms. Banu, "Even though BBMP staff clean the ground, garbage piles up in the course of the day."
In Shivajinagar, a huge pile of garbage lies outside the campus of a government school. “I guess the only reason children don't fall sick is that they are habituated to the surroundings," says Farahathunisa, headmistress of the school, which has 46 students.
Ayesha, whose four children go to the school, lives in a block of houses adjoining the campus. "Sometimes, residents and shopkeepers throw garbage inside the campus," she said. Some residents want the original building of the school, which was started as St. Andrew’s Free School in 1897, to be declared a heritage structure and preserved. A new block has been constructed behind the 119-year-old building.
However, their plight is slightly better when compared with the Government Tamil/Kannada Higher Primary Nursery School on Thimmaiah Road. It has a dilapidated building, which is a haven for drunkards and drug addicts. The compound wall has been damaged in several places, enabling easy access to unauthorised persons.
“The residents dump the bodies of stray animals inside the campus," says Kalaivani, the headmistress. “People even come inside the compound just to urinate.”
A new building is being built but work is taking longer than usual because of frequent theft of sand and cement bags.
"This school had nearly 60 students around a decade ago, but now no parent wants to send their child here because of the pathetic condition of the school," says Kalaivani. At present, the school has just 11 students.
‘Schools need protection from civic crimes’Apathy of residents and officials is a major cause for the poor condition of some government schools, feel school staff.
"We can educate our children on hygiene, but the BBMP and police have to protect the school from miscreants," says Sahira Banu, headmistress of DJ Halli Urdu medium High School. She has been teaching there for 14 years. While the school has improved over the years, she says that a lot more needs to be done.
Ganesh, who stays near the Government Tamil/Kannada Higher Primary Nursery School on Thimmaiah Road, wants active participation from local officials.
Another suggestion is to raise awareness among residents. Soumya Suresh, Manager (Volunteer Action) at Child Rights and You, Bengaluru, said that after residents continued to dump waste right in front of a government-aided school in Koramangala, volunteers stepped in. "When local officials washed their hands off the problem, volunteers decided to run a campaign to educate residents," said Ms. Suresh.
PEOPLE SPEAK“In many government schools, toilets are very bad. Hygiene level is very poor and running water is a problem,” says D.K. Sethi, a retired professional who volunteers in government schools.
“We have been trying to change the situation for several years, but in vain. The Government Tamil/Kannada Higher Primary Nursery School on Thimmaiah Road was once a renowned institution with over 1,000 students. Look at its plight now,” says Apoline Fernandes, a teacher.
Reader’s Mail“The government has built enough schools, but they are not properly maintained. It should invest in improving infrastructure, especially computers,” says Shijil, member, Free Software Movement Karnataka.
“Government schemes are abused in some cases. For instance, children go to school only for the mid-day meal and do not attend classes. Drop-out rate is high,” says Kunal Sharma, Koramangala.
