Parents in Rohtas district have protested the proposed merger of Rupibandh Primary School with other schools, warning that the move could make access to education more difficult and expose children to road-safety risks. The school currently serves 82 students from Classes I to V in a single cramped room, while a sanctioned Rs 25 lakh classroom project remains stalled over the availability of land.
Rupibandh Primary School, established in 1996 in Chitauli panchayat of Kochas block, has four teachers, including headmaster Shashank Kumar Tiwary, and one cook. Its only 20×15-foot classroom also functions as the headmaster’s office and a storage area for midday meal supplies, utensils and other materials. The school has one blackboard and lacks a proper urinal, playground and drinking water facilities.
Parents have opposed the proposed merger on the grounds that shifting students would not resolve the school’s infrastructure shortage. They said Chitaini Primary School, one of the proposed alternatives, is around 6km away from Rupibandh. Middle School at Bardhauti Kala is approximately 1.5km away, but students would have to cross a busy national highway to reach it, according to the parents.
The parents said similar access and safety concerns applied to the other proposed school. They have lodged a complaint with the headmaster and warned that they would not send their children to school if the merger proceeds. They have urged the education authorities to improve the existing school instead of requiring children from disadvantaged families to travel farther for basic schooling.
Tiwary said the state government sanctioned Rs 25 lakh last year for constructing additional classrooms at Rupibandh Primary School. However, construction could not begin because land was not available. The unresolved land issue has left the school operating in its current condition, with all students accommodated in one room.
The proposed merger is expected to be discussed by the School Education Committee. Tiwary said a meeting would be called soon to consider the issue. DPO (Establishment) Rajanish Upadhyay said reports had been sought from the headmaster and the assistant block education officer to ensure the smooth conduct of teaching activities.
Any decision will have to account for the distance to alternative schools, the need to cross a national highway and the pending construction of additional classrooms at Rupibandh. The district education authorities are yet to announce the outcome of their review.
