Poor schools: Students walk for free meals; school lacks basic facilities.

In Nayagada, there is a high school called Baman Abakash High School that has been facing some challenges despite efforts to improve its facilities and education quality. Located in the Itamati panchayat of Nayagada block, the school has been struggling with inadequate infrastructure and other issues that have been affecting its students. One of these problems is the unhygienic environment in which the mid-day meal is cooked, which takes place on the verandah.

The school was established in 1959 and used to be two separate institutions, one for Classes I to VII and the other for Classes VIII to X. However, in January 2021, the two schools were merged into one. Even though it is now considered a single-campus school for Sishu Vatika to Class X, there is still a service road passing between the two sections.

This road is a part of the Balangir-Khordha National Highway 57 and connects Itamati cinema hall to Champatipur. Despite having a land area of 6 acres, the high school section has allegedly been encroached upon. The road running through the school land has been an ongoing issue, and attempts to remove it or bring the entire school under one campus have been unsuccessful.

As a result, students face difficulties in having their mid-day meals and participating in morning prayers. For instance, students from Sishu Vatika to Class V have to cross the road to reach the high school section for their meals. Adding to this, the primary section of the school does not have a boundary wall, which makes it difficult to maintain security.

The school currently needs 11 classrooms for students from Sishu Vatika to Class X, but unfortunately, it only has six. As a result, students from Sishu Vatika and Classes I, II, and III have to share one room, while students from Classes IV and V use another room. The primary section only has two classrooms and a small office room.

On the other hand, the high school section has four classrooms, with one being used by Classes VI and VII, and the remaining three being used by Classes VIII, IX, and X. In 2021-22, the school received a grant of `1 crore for the construction of five classrooms. However, apart from a smart classroom for Class IX, no other construction work has been completed.

Additionally, the school does not have a dedicated kitchen for preparing mid-day meals, and a new room that was being constructed by former students is also incomplete. This has resulted in the meals being cooked in an unhygienic environment on the verandah. Furthermore, parts of the school's front boundary wall are missing, allowing cattle to enter the campus and roam freely.

Currently, the school has a total of 225 students, out of which 84 are from Sishu Vatika to Class VII, and are being taught by five teachers. The remaining 141 students are from Classes VIII to X and are being taught by 11 teachers. The headmaster, Prasanna Mohapatra, stated that even though the school is now considered a single campus, all classes do not have classrooms within a single compound.

He emphasized the urgent need for five classrooms and five separate rooms, as well as a kitchen for preparing mid-day meals. Sarat Chandra Sahu, the president of the alumni committee, also expressed his concerns. He mentioned that the school had received more than `1 crore under the 5T initiative, but apart from one classroom, no other significant improvements have been made.

He stressed the need for separate classrooms so that students from Sishu Vatika to Class X can study within the same campus. Chittaranjan Pandey, the District Education Officer, assured that necessary steps would be taken to ensure that all classes of the campus school are accommodated within one compound. He also mentioned that priority would be given to the construction of a kitchen, and other problems would be discussed and addressed.

In conclusion, the Baman Abakash High School is facing some challenges, but efforts are being made to improve its facilities and provide a better learning environment for its students.