Dilapidated School Transformed into Cattle Shed: Chennigarayapura’s Education Crisis

In Chennigarayapura village, located in Malur taluk, the local government school stands as a stark symbol of neglect and abandonment. Once intended to foster learning, the school premises have deteriorated into a state where the buildings are now used as cattle sheds. Stinking drains line the nearby Malur road, and garbage dumps are scattered across the area, contributing to a pervasive sense of disrepair. This border village, lacking basic facilities, has witnessed its educational infrastructure crumble, leaving its children without a functioning school.

With no operational school in Chennigarayapura, parents are forced to send their children on a daily trek of 3 kilometres to the nearest government school in Chikkatagali village. This journey poses significant challenges, as the road between the two villages is heavily damaged, riddled with potholes that make travel treacherous, especially during the rainy season.

The village, home to approximately 40 families and 200 voters, faces numerous infrastructural challenges. Although the central government’s Jal Jeevan Mission has installed water taps in every home, the taps remain dry, with no actual water supply available. Furthermore, during rains, village roads turn into muddy fields, complicating movement and increasing the risk for children commuting to school.

Local Gram Panchayat member Manjula Srinivas Reddy has voiced concerns over the administrative apathy towards the community’s needs. She points out that while new drains have been constructed, garbage removal is hampered by some residents’ resistance. Additionally, the Panchayat has not convened an all-members meeting in four months, and the Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) remains unresponsive to villagers’ communication attempts.

The situation has created a divide within the community. Families with more financial means opt to send their children to private schools along the Malur-Hosekote road, while about 8 to 10 children from poorer families are left to navigate the difficult journey to the government school in Chikkatagali. The hazardous road conditions, particularly during the rains, pose daily risks for these children, who are determined to pursue their education despite the obstacles.

The villagers, particularly those from economically weaker sections, are united in their demand for the reopening of their village primary school. Their request is straightforward yet vital: restore the local school to ensure that their children have access to safe and accessible education within their community.

The crisis in Chennigarayapura underscores a wider issue concerning rural infrastructure and educational access across the region. The community’s plight highlights the urgent need for intervention from local authorities to ensure that children’s right to education is not compromised due to fundamental infrastructural failures.

The villagers’ collective voice is a plea for change, calling on officials to take immediate action to restore their school and improve the overall living conditions in their village. Only through concerted efforts can the educational aspirations of the children in Chennigarayapura be safeguarded, ensuring they have the opportunities they deserve.