The primary education in Narasinghpur block in Cuttack district is in a shamble due to lack of teachers and infrastructure in schools.

Shortage of teaching staff has severely affected the school education in which 15,573 students are enrolled in Classes I to VIII.

As against 631 sanctioned teacher posts, 119 are lying vacant now. Besides, more than 50 schools don’t have regular Headmasters.

There are 202 schools operating in the block and they include 92 schools have Classes I to V, 52 schools having Classes I to VII, eight schools having Classes VI-VIII, nine fully-aided and block grant schools, three Seva Ashram schools and 38 high schools.

Even if, 185 schools have Mid-Day Meal (MDM) provision, 42 of them don’t have kitchen.

 Many schools don’t have drinking water facilities. Water available in a few schools doesn’t worth drinking.

As there is no other option to quench thirst, students have to drink the same.

It may be noted that many people have suffered from kidney-related diseases in the block, particularly due to contaminated water.

Meanwhile, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan members have reported to the higher authorities recommending for provision of safe drinking water in every school.

Interestingly, the Block Education Officer (BEO) office doesn’t have a drinking water facility and officials go outside to collect a glass of water.

It has been marked that the number of students’ enrolment has dwindled by more than two thousand during the last four years.

Meanwhile, transfer of Narasinghpur BEO Sushree Sujata Priyadarshini Panda has created resentment among teachers as she had worked in teachers’ favour relating to pension disbursment.

The locals have demanded that the State Government take necessary steps for upgrading infrastructure, filling up vacant teacher and Headmasters posts and providing other facilities to improve education system in the block.