Students, especially those who have cleared Std. VIII, of Mandal Parishad Upper Primary School, Yendada, are up against the odds.
After having studied up to Std. VIII, they are now told to move to another school that is located 5-km away from the present school to complete their high school education.
The MPUP School located at Yendada caters up to Std. VIII and has 334 students, mostly from the BPL segment of surrounding areas such as Sagar Nagar, Yendada, and Rajeev Nagar.
In all, 35 students, including 18 girls, have cleared the Std. VIII examination this year and have since been travelling the 5-km distance by bus or autorickshaw to a high school in Madhurawada.
According to the school management, a proposal has been sent to the Director of School Education to upgrade the school into a high school as the students’ performance is very good. But the proposal and repeated pleas to local leaders appear to have fallen on deaf ear.
“We not only have to travel the 5-km distance but also pay for the bus and auto fare. A couple of my schoolmates who performed well have dropped the idea of higher education as they cannot afford it. A few more are planning to drop out,” says a girl student.
Moreover, the students also face the risk of crossing NH-16 near Madhurawada, which has been earmarked by the traffic police as one of the most dangerous spots on the NH. According to sources in the District Education Department, a few technical problems are acting as a hindrance in taking the proposal forward. As per rule, there can be only one government-run high school in a radius of 5-km, and there is high school located at Wadapalem near Rushikonda, about 3-km from the MPUP School.
But accessibility to this high school from Yendada and surrounding areas is very poor. “Buses are few and their timings do not match with the school hours,” says G. Ravi, headmaster of the MPUP School.
Secondly, a high school should be located on a minimum extent of five acres, and the MPUP School is running on a land measuring about 1.25 acres.
To reach high school, they are forced to travel a distance
of 5 km
