Govt. primary school at Thethampakkam lacks facilities

Residents and parents protest poor conditions at Government Primary School in Thethampakkam village, demanding better facilities for students.

For a long time, local residents and parents of students studying in the Government Primary School, Thethampakkam village at Villianur near Puducherry, have been complaining about difficulties children face due to lack of space, absence of proper toilets and teachers without any action from the authorities.

Established around 45 years ago, the school currently have around 65 students studying from LKG to Class V. The school functions with only one proper classroom, one toilet and four teachers for the entire students. The cramped atmosphere in the classroom has caused frequent health problems to the students, say parents.

Irate over the delay in attending to their complaints, the residents and parents on Wednesday locked the school and staged a protest. They withdrew the agitation after officials from the School Education Department visited the school and gave an assurance to look into their complaints.

“We have been getting such assurance from authorities for the past several years. We have given complaints to the present and previous governments regarding the need to augment facilities inside the school. Wednesday’s agitation was only a token protest and if the government continue with its apathy, we will hold more protests,” said R. Sarathi, an ex-student of the school and resident of Thethampakkam.

The building, according to a parent, has also developed structural damages. It has become so cramped that students will have to sit outside, under hot sun, to eat food, she said.

“We are really scared to send children to school. If there is a heavy spell of rain, water enters the classroom and the mopping will have to be done by the students and teachers. There is also the threat of electric shock because of poor power connection. Then there is the problem of absence of proper toilets. All this makes life difficult for the students and teachers,” she said.

Mr. Sarathi said there was only one worker attached to the school to provide milk, lunch and for maintenance of the school. In his absence, the teachers will have to manage providing food and other works, he added.