It is alarming to know that all six academic buildings of the Amtali MU Girls Pilot Secondary School—the only educational institution for girls in Barguna’s Amtali upazila—are in a dilapidated state due to lack of repairs and maintenance over the years. As a result, its 400-plus students are being compelled to attend classes despite risks of accidents. Reportedly, there are cracks all over the walls and ceilings of the buildings with plasters falling off of them. The computer lab has been covered with polythene to save it from water entering through cracks during monsoon. Waterlogging is another common problem during the rains, with rainwater also leaking in through the roof, making it difficult for everyone to attend classes.

The fact that all these buildings have become so unsuitable for academic activities have led the school to request higher authorities to take corrective steps, according to its head teacher, but to no avail. The question is: what type of education can we expect when girls, going through the most important formative years of their lives, cannot even study properly?

The story of dilapidated school buildings—particularly those under the government—has become all too common in the country. Previously, we have seen instances of schools having parts of ceilings falling on teachers, and students getting injured with ceiling fans or concrete chunks. Young schoolgirls, too, have been similarly injured before, and even died. Last year, the then state minister for primary and mass education revealed that Bangladesh has a total of 6,704 government primary schools with dilapidated buildings. Despite their sheer volume, we have seen no urgency on part of the government to repair these buildings, nor take proper steps to ensure the safety of school children or staff.

Such nonchalance is reprehensible. In the case of Amtali upazila, girls don’t even have the choice to go to another school that is not just completely falling apart. We, therefore, urge the authorities to immediately renovate the dilapidated buildings, something that should be happening across all such schools.