Lokmat News Network
Chaitali Joshi
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: There is a school. There is a teacher. There is curiosity in young minds. Yet only 36 children from the village are enrolled. Just 20 km from the city, the Zilla Parishad school in Chincholi Tanda raises an important question: are fewer students coming because of the low population, or is the poor condition of the school keeping them away?
On the night of June 11, a storm hit the village. The roof blew away, walls collapsed, and nearly ₹4 lakh worth of materials, computers, projectors, and a solar generator were destroyed. Since then, Grades 1 to 5 are taught together in a temporary tin shed, where heat and noise make learning difficult.
Most families work as daily labourers. Earlier, children were taken to the fields, but now parents want them to study. Even in the tin shed, students come every day to learn. Almost every student dreams of joining the police or army, says teacher Mahadev Pakhare, explaining that children of the Banjara community are curious about such jobs because they live far from the city.
A damage report was made on June 12, and a proposal for a new building was sent on June 17 under the CSR fund. Nothing has happened since.
“This community is slightly backward, but awareness is growing now. Parents have started sending their children to school instead of the fields. The lack of basic facilities like washrooms and a proper shed makes it difficult for students to attend regularly. We are trying to give them the best education possible, but the school’s condition needs to improve for more children to come and study here.”
— Mahadev Pakhare, Teacher, Chincholi
“Students don’t leave the village; the population is low. At the same time, the school lacks basic facilities like classrooms, toilets, and a shed. We receive funds as per Gram Panchayat rules, but they are never enough to improve these facilities. If the school is repaired and these basic needs are met, it could make a difference in encouraging more children to attend.”
— Vilas Pawar, Sarpanch, Chincholi