Goemkarponn desk
MARGAO: A day after the parents’ boycott, the GAKUVED Federation has threatened a massive protest if the State government led by the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant fails to start work in the Morpirla, Quepem government school.
The parents protested on the first day of school and refused to send the children to classes due to poor infrastructure facilities.
Addressing a press conference, the GAKUVED team, which met the parents at Morpirla, said the school’s condition has become pathetic and unsafe for students to sit.
“We realised that the Parents’ demand is only infrastructure, which is lacking. We saw the building is covered with tarpaulin to stop leakage in rains, no proper toilet facility, classroom and laboratory have stains and marks of last year’s monsoon leakage. The ceiling has started to fall. It is not safe for children to sit,”.
GAKUVED said.
The leaders said that after yesterday’s protest, the work order for high school renovation has been issued while the primary school nothing has been done.
“Today, after our discussions, parents agreed to send children, but they have warned to protest again if no work is done within 10 days. Parents are still sitting around school as they are worried about their children’s safety,” they said.
GAKUVED expressed shock that the schools are being neglected by the government.
“This school gets 100 per cent results, with several students getting distinctions. The headmaster of teh school has been honoured with President’s medal, yet, this school is being neglected,” they said.
GAKUVED said Education is a basic necessity.
“Govt is spending funds unnecessarily, instead of halls and temples. They need to give impetus to schools and Education,” he said.
The Parents of Morpirla have boycotted the village school on the first day of the new academic year and have said that they won’t send their children to school until it’s repaired.
Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa, along with local sarpanch and ex-students of the school, have expressed their support to the protesting parents.
Altone has said that despite several efforts, the government hasn’t shown any seriousness in repairing the school.
Parents told the media that they have decided to keep their wards out of the classrooms since the government has failed to honour the promise to renovate the Morpirla Primary and High School.
“The government has only assured the parents that the school will be repaired, but in vain”, remarked a parent.
Another parent pointed out that the school is in bad condition, saying the leaking roof can even collapse during the ensuing rains.
Quepem MLA said he visited the Morpirla Primary and High School at least six times after becoming the MLA and had even raised the issue on the floor of the House. “We have not come here to indulge in politics. I had raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly, but somehow the schools at Morpirla, Paddi, and Khola have not evoked government attention to date”, he rued.
Altone said when the government is hell-bent on getting IITs and NITs in Goa, it has no plan to refurbish the existing schools for the benefit of the students.
