Bhubaneswar, Feb. 14: The school is a temple of learning, as the saying goes. At a remote village in Kendrapara district, the temple is the school.
A primary school is run from the temple at Ranko village of Mahakalpada block in Kendrapara district as the school building has remained half built for a decade.
The Raghunathjew temple used for two purposes - as a place of worship and teaching. Classes are held in the temple during the usual school hours (from 10am to 4pm). Puja rituals are performed in the morning and evening hours.
The Ranko Project Primary School was set up in 2008. The school was shifted to the temple about a year ago. Earlier, it used to operate from a thatched house. But after collapse of the mud-walled house, the school was shifted to the temple.
"The school was shifted to the temple with the village committee's consent," said district education officer Sangram Sahoo.
The temple management has also no objection as the timing of worship and teaching does not clash. "Temple rituals are not affected because of varying time schedule of the school and the temple," said priest Rasananda Acharya.
Though the school was set up in 2008, the school building remains half-constructed. The construction has not been over because of a funds crunch. In the absence of a permanent building, the villagers opted to have their children go to school at the temple.
"Our wards are sitting on the temple floor as there is no furniture. Midday meals are not being served to the children on a daily basis because of lack of cooking facilities at the temple," said Artatrana Rout, a parent.
"We are left with no other option as the nearby schools are about 1.5km from the village," he said.
Villagers and educators are, however, unhappy over the state of affairs of primary education in rural areas. "Though there is no dearth of funds with the government under the reconstruction of school buildings programme, primary schools continue to run in makeshift sheds, rented houses, temples and polythene wrapped sheds," rued rights activist Binayak Swain.
