Asika, Nov 14 (UDN): : Uncertainty over the resumption of academic activities at Nandigora Upper Primary School in Dharakote block of Ganjam district has finally come to an end following a consensus reached at a meeting held on the school premises on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by Assistant Block Education Officer (ABEO) Souri Shankar Behera, Cluster Resource Centre Coordinator (CRCC) Ranjan Kumar Nayak, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) President Prakash Kumar Goud, Village Committee President Keshab Sahu, Headmaster Anil Kumar Sethi, Abhaya Sahu, Sudarshan Panda, former Sarpanch Shibaram Badata, Upendra Sahu, Lingaraj Goud, Bipra Charan Sahu, Surya Narayan Behera, Ravi Narayan Pati and hundreds of local residents and parents.
After detailed discussions, it was unanimously decided that classes would be conducted in three classrooms that remain in good condition, along with the temporarily arranged drama pavilion and two verandahs within the school premises. This arrangement will enable students to continue their education without having to shift to another school.
The school has 248 students from Bal Vatika to Class VIII. However, four classrooms were severely damaged during the devastating Cyclone Arnab-related floods, making it difficult to conduct regular classes.
Following the damage, the District Project Coordinator (DPC) had issued instructions for temporarily shifting classes to the nearby Putu School. The proposal triggered strong resentment among villagers and parents, who refused to send their children to the alternative school. This led to an unpleasant situation and brought academic activities to a standstill.
Following the agreement reached at Tuesday’s meeting, regular teaching activities resumed at Nandigora School after remaining suspended for 23 days.
On the first day of reopening, 82 students from Classes V, VI, VII and VIII attended school. Parents expressed confidence that students from all classes, from Bal Vatika to Class VIII, would return to school from Wednesday.
The committee’s decision has brought relief to parents, students and teachers, paving the way for the restoration of academic activities through temporary classroom arrangements until the damaged infrastructure is repaired.