Teachers, kids get a breather as city school undergoes facelift

GUWAHATI: Arya Pathshala – the govt school which was established in 1935 on Rehabari’s AK Azad Road in Guwahati – has got a short respite after a two-month-long renovation work on the premises ended. Students and faculty members of the school were facing problems as the facilities available on the campus were in pathetic condition.
The govt school that offers classes from nursery to grade 5 has a total of more than 150 students and six faculty members.Their main problems pertained to the lack of modern infrastructure in toilets. “Although we had toilets, their condition was pathetic and the staffers and students had difficulty using them,” Hemanta Kumar Das, principal of the school, said.
He also pointed out that other infrastructures of the schools were also in a dilapidated condition. “The desks and benches in the classes were almost damaged, along with leaky roofs. We are hoping to create a conducive environment for the students but due to the lack of funds, we couldn’t carry it out,” the principal added.
Potable water was another issue in the school as the filters in the water purifiers were also damaged.
However, the two months of renovation work for a cost of more than Rs 10 lakh undertaken by the Rotary Club of Guwahati Metro has resulted in renewed interest in the govt school. “Students previously were not showing interest in attending the classes but now, with the renovations being completed, we are witnessing more parents showing interest in admitting their children to the school,” the principal added.
The inauguration of the newly renovated school was done on Sunday by the governor of Assam, Gulab Chand Kataria.
The school, where work started in March, saw the construction of modern facilities in the toilets making it convenient for the students and staffers. Along with new filtration systems, water taps were also installed so that students could get clean drinking water.
“We have carried out the project under the ‘happy school project’, and have repaired the benches and desks of all six classrooms. We also added other facilities including a play space on the terrace for the nursery students and gardening as well,” Rajendra Prasad Surekha, president of the club, said.