Khammam: Students are being forced to sweep schools due to unavailability of non-teaching staff including sweepers and watchmen in major government schools in Khammam district.
It is not just the infrastructure problems that these schools are battling with, there are many more. There are schools in the district with no sweepers, poor infrastructure facilities and leaking roofs. The state government, which is working towards rationalisation of schools, is not concentrating on these problems.
There are about 18 major schools in the district with more than 800 students in Khammam, Manuguru, Madhira, Kusumanchi, Paloncha, Kothagudem, Sattupalli, Julurpad, Yellandu and Wyra.
Students of these schools are entrusted to clean the premises and their rooms in the evenings.
As per the norms, students should not be involved such activities. Besides, the shortage of lavatories continues to inconvenience the students, particularly girls. Long queues are seen in the morning at the existing lavatories.
The budget being released for maintenance is insufficient; a mere Rs 10,000 is sanctioned per month to schools with strength of 200 to 1,000 students.
Due to this, the school managements find it difficult to meet the expenses. Ultimately, the responsibility of cleaning the premises is inevitably entrusted on the students.
There are 1,200 students in the government high school at NSP Colony, Khammam. The government, which is filling up vacancies of teachers, is not focusing on the vacant non-teaching staff posts.
K. Sampath, a student said, “The students are being involved in Swachh Bharat programmes daily because of the staff shortage. It is against the rules to involve students in such tasks.”
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