Students in Errakot village have been studying in a panchayat building for nearly three years after their old school building was demolished
Jagdalpur: Amid repeated government claims about improving education infrastructure in the tribal-dominated Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, a ground-level situation in Errakot village has raised serious questions about the condition of school facilities and the learning environment available to children.
In an unusual arrangement, students of the local school are being taught inside a panchayat building, which is also used for ration distribution, post office services and other panchayat-related activities.
In effect, a single building is currently serving multiple purposes—school, panchayat office, Public Distribution System (PDS) centre and post office services.
Where Is This Building Located?
The situation has been reported from Errakot village in Tokapal development block of Bastar district.
Children continue to arrive at school carrying their books and notebooks, but they do not have a dedicated school building of their own.
According to teachers, the original school building was considered unsafe because of its deteriorated condition and was demolished around three years ago.
An alternative arrangement was subsequently made for the students. However, what was initially intended to be a temporary solution has continued for years, leaving students without a permanent school building.
Around 100 Students Studying Without a Dedicated School
The Middle School in Errakot has around 100 students, along with four teachers and one Community Service Centre (CSC) staff member.
Teachers said that after the old school building was demolished, classes were initially conducted in two additional rooms and a CSC building.
However, one of the additional rooms has now also deteriorated significantly. With ceiling plaster reportedly falling, authorities have shifted students to the panchayat building as a precaution.
“After the old school building was demolished, classes were started in two additional rooms and one CSC building. However, the condition of one additional room has now become quite poor, and plaster has fallen from the ceiling. Therefore, students have recently been shifted to the panchayat building for their safety.”
— Ruby Thakur, Teacher
One Building Serving the Entire Village
The panchayat building has now effectively become a common facility for several government services.
Apart from being used for school classes, the building is also used for ration distribution and panchayat-related activities, while post office services are also connected to the same premises.
Teachers say that the arrangement is affecting the learning environment because students do not have a dedicated and quiet space for education.
Teachers Raise Concerns Over Learning Environment
According to teacher Lokbandhu Pandey, the absence of a dedicated school building is having a direct impact on students’ education.
“The lack of a dedicated school building is affecting the children’s studies. Students of Classes 6, 7 and 8 are not getting a regular and organised academic environment. The biggest problem is that the panchayat building being used for classes is not meant exclusively for the school. Ration distribution is also carried out here, essential panchayat activities are conducted here and post office services are also linked to the premises.”
— Lokbandhu Pandey, Teacher
Safety Concerns Behind the Temporary Arrangement
The decision to move students to the panchayat building has also been linked to concerns over unsafe school infrastructure.
In several parts of Bastar, there have previously been instances of students being injured after plaster or portions of deteriorating school buildings fell.
Teachers and local authorities therefore appear to have preferred using the panchayat building rather than continuing classes in an unsafe structure.
However, this arrangement has now continued for a prolonged period.
Three Years, But No New School Building
Teachers and students had expected that a new school building would be constructed soon after the old structure was demolished.
However, nearly three years have passed, and students are still waiting for a permanent school facility.
While another additional room is reportedly not yet in an extremely deteriorated condition, teachers fear that its age and condition could eventually make it unsafe as well.
The prolonged delay has raised questions about the implementation of school infrastructure projects in remote and tribal areas.
When Will the Wait End?
A school building is more than just four walls. For children in rural and tribal areas, it provides a safe, stable and organised environment for learning.
But in Errakot, students have been deprived of this basic facility for around three years.
The situation raises an important question: When will the children of Errakot finally get a permanent school building of their own?
Until then, students will continue to study in a building that also serves several other government functions, highlighting the gap between education infrastructure claims and the realities faced by children on the ground in Bastar.
