Lockpada Primary School in Paradip. Telegraph picture

Paradip, July 6: The government-run primary schools in a cluster of slum colonies in the port town are enjoying undeclared holidays nowadays. None of these slum schools has its own building.

Absence of congenial academic atmosphere is disorienting the students from reaching schools. Moreover, children play truant as their parents from the fishermen community have stopped sending them to classes. With the fishing activities picking up, the children are found engaged in dry fish processing work.

Of the six project primary schools in slum clusters, two are yet to reopen while the academic activities in rest of the institutions have taken a back seat. The Beer Factory Project primary school in Sukhuakhala settlement near the Paradip Phosphates Limited complex and the nearby Gholapada project primary school are yet to reopen after summer vacation.

Scenario is no better in at least four other schools such as, Bangalipada Primary School (ward No. 18), Loknath Colony Project Primary School, Lockpada Primary School and Bangalipada Primary School (ward No. 6). With attendance of school children being abysmally low, the teachers engaged there are enjoying “undeclared” holidays as well.

The factors responsible for near-breakdown of academic activities are multi-faceted.

“The children enrolled there are from families dependent on marine fishing activities. The ignorance coupled with illiteracy has prompted the parents to engage their wards in ancillary works connected to fishing. Under parents’ instructions, the children are skipping classes. Instead of sending them to schools, parents are seeking children’s service to dry fishing manufacturing activities,” said Lala Binoy Kumar Ray, a local resident.

“We are left with little option but to sit idle. We are waiting for the school hours to end. Students are not turning up. On some occasions, they are turning up, but the number is below the double digit. We are trying to prevail upon the parents on the need for educating their children. But, the illiterate inhabitants of fishermen community are unmoved,” said Biranchi Sahu, headmaster of Sukhuakhala primary school.

Moreover, these said schools are found badly wanting in academic ambience due to infrastructure deficiencies. These six government-run primary schools do not have permanent buildings as the Paradip Port Trust (PPT) authorities refused to allot land to the state government. At present, the schools are being operated from temporary structures. These schools are meant for slum children belonging to the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities. The schools are housed in temporary accommodation extended by private organisations. Though flush with funds under the reconstruction of school buildings programme (RSBP), the schools and mass education department has failed to bring up the school buildings as the port authorities have thrown a spanner in their plan.

“Within the Paradip Municipality’s jurisdiction, there are 14 government-run primary schools. While eight of those, located within the planned civil township, have permanent buildings, the rest in the slum settlements are languishing without buildings of their own,” said Surath Mallick, executive officer of the Paradip Municipality.

Additional district magistrate of Paradip Saroj Kanta Choudhury said: “The administration has taken up the matter with the PPT for the school building works. We have asked the schools and mass education department authorities to mobilise the guardians and parents, so that the children turn up at schools.”