Jagatsinghpur: Teachers who rejoined duty on the direction of Odisha’s School and Mass Education (SME) department came across deplorable conditions in their schools.
It may be recalled that most of the schools had been converted into temporary medical centres (TMC) for migrant workers returning to their home state during the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Although the school buildings were vacated for reopening of schools, they were not cleaned properly for academic activities, The New Indian Express reported.
The headmaster of a high school in Balikuda was quoted as saying that the building was littered with pillows and other items used by the inmates. The toilets were not cleaned and items like masks and gloves lay scattered everywhere. He said the teachers are wary of getting infected while working in such conditions, but have no option.
More than 5,000 teachers of 272 high schools and 1,148 primary schools in Jagatsinghpur district have rejoined duty. They are now having to spend six to seven hours in unhygienic conditions at their schools.
On November 4, the S&ME department instructed collectors, district education officers and block education officers to coordinate with the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) and block officials to clean and repair schools and hostels within 15 days. However, their order fell on deaf ears.
Some teachers took up the matter with sarpanches and elected representatives. But the local administrators expressed their helplessness, stating that funds have not yet been granted by the Panchayati Raj department.
President of sarpanch association, Balikuda, Niranjan Panda said sarpanches of several panchayats have not yet received funds (ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh) for maintenance of the temporary medical centres which have now been closed.
Similarly, funds ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 have not yet been disbursed by the government as a result of which they are unable to buy sanitisers, hand wash and soap, the report added.
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