'Class Warfare': As Politicians Spar over Syllabus, Students Risk Lives in Crumbling Karnataka Schools

Even as the Congress and the opposition BJP in Karnataka are involved in a heated exchange over changing school syllabus ahead of the next academic year, students are forced to risk their lives in old and dilapidated school buildings, badly in need of repair. The school staff, too, are in a fix with a severe shortage of classrooms, as many of the rooms have been rendered unusable by collapsing roofs or weak structures.

According to the education department’s survey in October 2022, nearly 40,000 classrooms in Karnataka needed urgent repairs. The state has 47,608 government schools, with 45.42 lakh students in almost 2.5 lakh classrooms.

One such school is in the Mandya district of the state. The government school in Srirangapatna’s Palahalli has 47 students. Still, most of the classrooms are in poor shape, making the parents worry for their kids’ safety. Teachers said that they had been asking for a new building, but in vain.

Parents say they can’t afford private schools because of high fees but they are worried about their children’s safety at some of these government schools.

“Looking at this school, no children want to come close to it as you never know what will happen when. These officials will make big speeches but no one cares about government schools. Parents are forced to pay huge fees in private schools to get their kids to study because the schools in villages are not proper,” said Manjunath, a parent from Mandya.

The Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) of Mandya said that the education department is working towards fixing the issue. “We are getting the details on where there is a need for classrooms. According to the report, new classrooms will be built, and repair work will take place. Especially washrooms will be built. The action plan was made about the classrooms, and accordingly, the report will be sought,” said Javarey Gowda, DDPI, Mandya.

The condition of another school in the Tumakuru district has also raised questions about the administration’s effectiveness. The government school located opposite the district collector’s office, is a century old and leaks every time it rains. The school, which lacks a toilet infrastructure, doesn’t even have a proper compound wall and reportedly becomes a site for illegal activity after sunset. These are just a few examples of crumbling school infrastructure; it is the same story in several districts.

With the monsoon season already around the corner in the state, parents and students are fearful of adverse conditions in such schools.

Meanwhile, the schools are all set to begin with the teaching of the curriculum from June 1. Enforcement officials are also scheduled to visit the schools between June 1 and June 15 under the “Minchina Sanchara” campaign to inspect the quality of education and infrastructure.