Hassan villagers protest over unsafe school building

Residents of Neelagiri Kavalu village in Karnataka’s Hassan district have protested against the deteriorating condition of their local school building. The demonstration took place on Tuesday in Javagal hobli of Arasikere taluk under the banner of the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation. Villagers, including parents of the school’s 20 students, took part.

The protesters alleged that the roof and walls were very old and could collapse, putting pupils at risk. They also said rainwater entered the classroom during the monsoon, making it difficult for children to remain inside and concentrate on lessons. School Development and Monitoring Committee president Umesh said repeated appeals had been made to elected representatives and officials for repairs but had not produced a positive response.

Parent Manjunath said the State government had proposed merging the school with Karnataka Public School at Javagal. He argued that the proposed merger was the reason authorities were not investing in the existing building. “We will not allow the government to shift the school,” he said, according to the report.

The protesters instead demanded that the building be repaired and made safe for students. AIDSO office-bearers Abhishek and Sushma, among others, attended the demonstration. The source material did not include a response from the government or education authorities to the allegations about the building or the proposed merger.