A class in session at Prathmik Vidyalaya Rukkanpura Musahari in Patna on Friday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Oct. 21: A little over a month has passed after tainted IAS officer S.S. Verma’s lavish three-storeyed residence in Rukkanpura was transformed into Prathmik Vidyalaya Rukkanpura Musahari but the excitement of the early days seems to be fizzling out.

Not only is the number of students dwindling, the ones that come are irregular. And the numbers are going downhill each day.

Usha Singh, the principal of the school, told The Telegraph today: “The school had 94 students before it was shifted to this location, and the children were very regular. After we shifted here, around 56 children from the area joined the school. The number of the old students is dwindling fast. At least 30 students have become irregular. When we enquired about the problem, we found that the distance was keeping many students away.”

A parent said: “My son goes to the new school but he is not very regular. I stay busy all day and he is too small to go by himself. The road is very busy.”

The old school, which was located in Musahar Toli, is around 1km from the new premises.

Singh said: “The distance is not much but for some reason, the old students are not regular. The parents said it is risky to let their wards walk down Bailey Road alone to the new school.”

The number of teachers is also a worry for the principal. “There are just three teachers, including me, in the school,” she said. One teacher looks after classes I to III, while another teaches students of classes IV and V.

“I remain busy with the school’s administrative responsibilities and teach the students whenever I get time. We have requested the state government to recruit a male teacher for the school. He could also stay in the house and look after it. Senior government officials assured us a way out but nothing has been done yet,” said Singh.

One of the teachers said: “Sometimes, the students don’t come for days altogether. For the past two days, midday meal is not being delivered and the students are going home for lunch. Most of them don’t return to school later.”

The students who do attend school are happy, though. Class II student Bishnu Kumar said: “I love this new school. It is neat and tidy and also has a swing in the outer portico.”