Around 150 primary school students in Bakshiganj upazila of Jamalpur have been attending classes at a nearby secondary school for the past two months after their school building was declared unsafe.
The students of Kamaler Bartti Government Primary School in Sadhurpara union now have to attend classes from 6:30 am to 9:45 am at KB Model SESIP High School. The schedule was changed to accommodate the secondary school, whose classes begin at 10:00 am.
The early schedule has caused considerable hardship for the young students, many of whom have to leave home before breakfast. Class duration has also been reduced from 50 minutes to just 30 minutes, affecting their lessons.
Teachers and guardians have demanded that the old building be demolished and a new one constructed on the primary school's own premises as soon as possible.
Kamaler Bartti Registered Primary School was established in 1977 and nationalised in 2013. A one-storey building was constructed in 2000. After nearly 25 years, the building has developed cracks at several points and its condition has deteriorated.
About two months ago, a loud sound from the roof during classes alarmed teachers and students, who rushed out of the classrooms. Following an inspection, the upazila administration and education authorities suspended classes in the building, citing safety concerns.
Since then, classes have been held at the nearby secondary school. Due to the limited time and space, the school cannot hold its regular morning assembly or national anthem, while students are also deprived of sports activities.
They cannot attend all the classes properly. It is difficult to cover every subject within such a short time, students said, urging the authorities to construct a new building.
Assistant teacher Sabina Yasmin said teachers cannot give students the time required for each subject. “We have to leave the classroom before completing the lessons,” she said.
Acting headteacher Ibrahim Khalil said an application had been submitted to declare the old building abandoned. “If a new building is not constructed soon, students will suffer severely in their studies,” he said.
Upazila Education Officer Abu Hasan Rezaul Karim said an inspection found the building unsuitable for classes. “An allocation of Tk8.61 lakh has been secured to construct a temporary structure. Once it is completed, classes will resume on the school’s own campus for the full duration,” he said.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Murad Hossain said classes were shifted after the building was found unsafe. He added that the authorities would inform higher officials and take steps to expedite the construction work of a new building.
