MIRZA, Feb 29 - Government efforts to streamline the education system seems to have literally run into rough weather as a large number of schools in far-flung and inaccessible rural areas are yet to be provincialised despite fulfilling all the required criteria.
The above is amply proved by the example of Pagladia ME Madrassa under Palasbari LAC in Kamrup district, which has been functioning as a venture ME school since the last 24 years.
Established in 1996 at Pagladia village under Palasbari LAC in the north bank of the Brahmaputra, the school with 108 students in its rolls and having 6 teachers along with a watchman is plagued by several problems due to perennial apathy of the state government.
Sources informed that flood and erosion by the Brahmaputra caused irreparable damage to the school in 2019.The entire 4 bigha land allotted by the Government to the school along with its buildings had been eroded in June 2019. Thereafter, the school was shifted from Pagladia village in the north bank of the Brahmaputra to Baniapara at Bherbhari village in the south bank of the Brahmaputra under Palasbari LAC.
Sources informed that damage caused by recurring flood and erosion to the school is yet to be repaired due to shortage of funds, which has adversely affected the academic environment of the educational institution.
The president of the school management committee (SMC) Nurul Islam pointed out that Pagladia ME Madrassa is literally a boon for hundreds of students of several flood and erosion-ravaged villages, including Pagladia, Bhatkhowadia, Bardia, Hengratary, Bhaurakata Paam, Baniapara and Kalapani etc., located near the Brahmaputra under Palsabari LAC.
It is the only ME school in a vast area to which students from 5 provincialised lower primary schools like Kalardia LP School, Bhatkhowadia LP School, Dakshin Bhatkhowadia LP School, Pagladia LP School and Bardia Sapori LP School come to study.
Sources informed that the teachers of the school were provided financial assistance of Rs 54,000 each from 2011 to 2014 by the Government, but the same was not released from 2015 till date.
A grant of Rs 5,000 was given to the school every year from 2007 to 2014 for purchase of Teaching-Learning Material, but the same was not disbursed from 2015 till date. Similarly, a grant of Rs 10,000 was given to the school every year for infrastructure development from 2007 to 2014, but the same too has not been released from 2015 till date.
