Basic facilities a distant reality in ZP High School

Mahbubnagar: Just four toilets are provided for 400 girls in the Zilla Parishad High School in Marikal mandal in Mahbubnagar district. The pathetic conditions in the school clearly shows the apathy on the part of the teachers, government officials and leaders in the government.

The conditions prevailing in the ZPHS Marikal gives an impression that the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Telangana programme taken up by the Central and State governments, aiming at providing cleanliness and hygienic conditions in the society, is a total farce. The officials and leaders, who are claiming to have achieved Swachata, could not even ensure adequate toilet facilities at Schools with a strength of more of 400 girl students. All their claims are termed as just publicity stunts and nothing more.

“We have about 720 students at ZPHS Marikal, among them 400 are girl students and for them only four toilets are being constructed. We have been continuously representing the local MLA, District Collector and other higher-ups on the issue to provide at least 15-20 toilets each to boys and girls. But our pleases have never been heeded and till today the girl students are facing tough time. However, we are trying to garner some funds from here and there and trying to construct a few more toilets for the girls, but that is not adequate as we need at least more than Rs 3-4 lakhs for the construction of toilets,” said Balalingaiah, a senior teacher at ZPHS Marikal.

According to district statistics, it is observed that the dropout rate for girl students is more than 30 per cent in the higher classes, while the same is at 8 per cent in lower classes. The main reason for this is due to inadequate toilet facilities in schools.

Now the question arises when the district administrations, take the initiative to provide basic facilities in schools. In fact, at least they should have prioritised the initiative of constructing adequate toilets facilities in government with highest number of girl students, opined the senior teacher, while expressing his deep concern.

At present, the old building of ZPHS Marikal is in the dilapidated condition and already the earlier building housing the staff room and principal’s office had collapsed when heavy rains lashed the district last year, but till date the government had not sanctioned any funds for its reconstruction. The compound wall is also very low and has many gaps in it allowing the pigs and other stray animals entering into the school premises.

The existing school buildings are also not adequate for housing the growing strength of the students. “We need at least four more additional class rooms, a compound wall, staff room and a headmaster’s chamber. We are also having a crunch of teaching staff. We need four more teachers, one for PET, one each School Assistants for English and Telugu, one Bio- Science teacher and a drawing teacher,” informed Balalingaiah.