Crumbling Infrastructure Threatens Education at Government High School in Jagatsinghpur

The Government High School in Ganailo, Jagatsinghpur, is struggling with severe infrastructural problems, including leaking roofs and inadequate facilities. Established in 1958, the school has seen a decline in student numbers and faces challenges such as unsafe classrooms and a lack of basic amenities. Parents and school officials are calling for urgent repairs and improvements to ensure a safe learning environment for students. With recent incidents highlighting the risks, the community is urging local authorities to take immediate action to address these pressing issues.

By Ambika Singh Oct 14, 2026, 09:44 IST

Challenges Faced by Government High School, Ganailo

By Rajendra Narayan Singh

Raghunathpur: Despite numerous government efforts aimed at enhancing educational standards, the Government High School in Ganailo, located in the Raghunathpur block of Jagatsinghpur district, is still facing severe infrastructural issues. The school suffers from leaking roofs, inadequate classroom space, and a lack of essential facilities, which jeopardizes the safety of both students and teachers and disrupts the learning process.

Founded in 1958, the institution is in a state of disrepair, with rainwater seeping into several classrooms due to a lack of maintenance, which interrupts lessons. Teachers are compelled to work in a multipurpose cyclone shelter deemed unsafe due to space constraints.

Concerns have been raised regarding the storage of sports equipment in this building, especially if the structure were to collapse. Once serving over 300 students from nearby panchayats, the school now accommodates only 203 students, ranging from kindergarten to Class X.

The facility is critically lacking in classrooms, toilets, and safe drinking water. Although there are eight classrooms, students from different grades are often crammed into a single room. The shortage of teachers has further complicated the educational experience. Many older buildings on the premises are no longer suitable for classes, yet no alternative solutions have been provided. Parents express that such unsafe and inadequate conditions could negatively impact their children's mental and intellectual growth.

Pramod Kumar Das, president of the School Management Committee, stated that no alternative measures have been implemented despite the deteriorating state of the buildings. Recently, a 30-foot section of the school's front boundary wall collapsed due to heavy rain and strong winds from a low-pressure system. Local parents, including Pankaj Das, Somanath Ray, Dipti Ranjan Biswal, and Subrat Mallik, have claimed that the wall's poor construction quality led to its failure, noting it was built only four years ago.

The school grounds become waterlogged and muddy during rain, complicating movement for students. Acting headmistress Banalakshmi Patra confirmed the lack of sufficient classrooms and toilets. She admitted that teachers are using an unsafe building due to space shortages and that sports equipment is also stored there. Patra mentioned that the dilapidated cyclone shelter would be entirely closed off to prevent accidents.

Three years prior, two classrooms, a science lab, and an e-library were constructed at a cost of Rs 45 lakh under the state government's 5T initiative. The school also received Rs 5 lakh from the State Finance Commission and Rs 3 lakh from the state government for toilet facilities. Currently, a new building is being erected at a cost of Rs 19 lakh, according to Patra.

Das and local villagers have appealed to the District Collector for urgent repairs to leaking roofs, the construction of additional classrooms and toilets, and the rebuilding of the damaged boundary wall. Block Education Officer Chinmaya Rout, who recently assumed his role, stated that he would investigate the complaints and report the findings to higher authorities.