Nayagarh: Even though the state government keeps blowing its own trumpet on the steps it is taking to improve attendance in schools and address the malnourishment situation among the young, government data paints a grim picture of ground realities.
After the recent government decision to close down schools where attendance is low, the condition of mid-day meal scheme highlights government’s failure.
The data obtained from the district education office in Nayagarh — a district that is neither remote nor very backward — shows that out of 1, 206 schools in this district, a whopping 648 of them don’t have proper kitchen facilities while only 558 schools have them.
Out of the eight blocks in this district, Ranpur has the maximum 232 schools and only 60 schools here have kitchens. Similarly, 42 schools out of 60 ones in Gania block, 90 schools out of 151 ones in Daspalla block, 57 schools out of 132 ones in Khandapara block, 42 schools out 118 ones in Bhapur block, 121 schools out of 187 ones in Odagaon block, 83 schools out of 152 ones in Nuagaon block and 63 schools out of 173 schools in Nayagarh block have kitchen facilities.
Curiously, 27 schools in Ranpur block, one in Gania, three in Odagaon, four in Nuagaon and five in Nayagarh blocks have got their kitchen houses constructed but cooking is yet to begin in the dedicated facilities. This amounts to 40 schools where kitchens have been constructed but yet to become functional.
Importantly, the kitchen houses in 45 schools out of the 558 ones that are said to have their kitchens are all damaged. Mid-day meals get prepared under risky and at times unhygienic conditions. Mid-day meals being cooked on verandah, thatched houses, under tin roofs have been a common occurrence in these schools.
This, of course, comes with its inherent risks.
“Cases of lizards falling into under-preparation food and students falling ill after having the food are aplenty. So are the cases of students being forced to eat biscuits instead of meals during rainy season when rains affect cooking in open places. After two months of holiday, we have found that most kitchens in government schools are in deplorable condition. We don’t want to take any chance,” said some parents who wanted to move their kids to private schools.
Kitchen houses in 51 schools are presently under construction, it was learnt.
Earlier the schools used to receive Rs 60,000 to get their kitchen houses constructed. Investigation reveals that headmasters and headmistresses of some schools did not give much important to this and thereby the money was returned, giving rise to the present situation.
A source in the district education office said that reports are sent to the School and Mass Education Department mentioning about the schools that run without dedicated kitchens. That said, kitchen houses are being built in phases after sanctioning of funds – though in inadequate numbers.
According to sources in the district education office, a total of 90, 969 students are reading in 1, 206 primary and high schools in eight blocks of Nayagarh district.
PNN