Children at the roofless Mithapur Farm Primary School in Patna on Wednesday. Picture by Jai Prakash

Patna, June 22: The monsoon has brought relief to you and I but the hundreds of students of the three schools that run from Mithapur Farm Primary School have to attend classes in the open.

Their lone classroom was ravaged by a pre-monsoon squall on May 21 but no repair work has been done till date.

The Telegraph, in its May 23, 2011, issue reported that half the asbestos roof of the classroom was blown away in the squall. It has been a month since then and 13 days since the school reopened after summer vacations. However, no efforts have been made to repair the roof, or to find alternative arrangements for the 250-odd students of the three schools.

The three schools, Mithapur Farm Primary School, New Sinha Modern Middle School, Purandharpur and Chandpur Bela Primary School — that are run from the lone classroom — may be closed down if temporary arrangements are not made soon, said sources. All the schools are run under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

Sources said if the schools are closed down, then the children would be shifted to the nearest Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan school.

“We were earlier told that some remedial measures would be undertaken. Rooms would be taken on rent before the school reopens after summer vacation. However, we have not heard anything from the state human resource development (HRD) department. As a result, we are forced to run the classes in the open,” said Akhilesh Prasad, a teacher of Chandpur Bela Primary School.

He added: “The walls of the classroom are also damaged. They might fall at any moment and hurt or even kill the children. There has been heavy rain over the past few days. At times, the children are caught unaware in the open classroom. The furniture and study material have also been damaged. This has affected the attendance of students. The three schools have around 250 students but only 12 to 15 are attending classes at present.”

“Earlier, the work was under the district superintendent of education but recently we have appointed the district education officer as the district-level authority. He will be heading the education department in the district. Thus, the district education officer of Patna would look into the remedial measures for Mithapur Farm Primary School,” said Anjani Kumar Singh, principal secretary, HRD department.”

He added: “First, we will try to get a few rooms on rent to run the three schools. If no rooms in the neighbourhood are available, we might close down the schools.”

Singh had earlier claimed that temporary solutions would be found. The room would be restored. Two other rooms on the premises that are at present in the possession of the state agriculture department would be opened to accommodate the students. Efforts would also be made to arrange for rooms on rent in the neighbourhood.