Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam
A twelve-year-old child, Sarfaraz Khan, from Bhikhiyachak village in Mahagama block of Godda district, Jharkhand, put a stick on an empty coke bottle and went around his school showing people the sorry state of affairs there.
The video shows lack of basic amenities in the classroom, and the washroom without any water or toilet seats. He then asks his fellow students to tell him why they don't come to school and why the are classrooms empty.
The government primary school has dilapidated classrooms which are being used as a store house for keeping cattle fodder. The washrooms don't have any toilet seats or water supply. The girls' toilet has a seat but it can clearly be seen to be non-functional. There are no teachers even at 12:45pm in the school. The school campus is visibly unkempt.
According to a media report, Sarfaraz has alleged that after his "news report" went viral, his teachers came to his house and threatened his mother with an FIR.
Praveen Choudhary, Block Development Officer, Mahagama Block, Godda district, told The Quint that he had come across this video yesterday on 3 August, after which he and the SDO went to the school together on Thursday, 4 August, where they found a lot of irregularities.
"When we reached, we saw that an attempt was made to cover up the problems shown in the video. A detailed investigation has been done and a report has been sent to the collector. We have also written for action to be taken against the teachers."Praveen Choudhary, Block Development Officer, Mahagama Block, Godda district, Jharkhand
In the video, Sarfaraz opens the door to a classroom and shows how it is empty, adding, "The teachers only come here to take attendance."
When asked why the students don't come to school, they said that they have to go far away to defecate because the school has no facilities and that is one of the biggest problems. They added that there is no provision for water and no one teaches us either.
He shows a hand pump that has been dug but never been installed, so there is no water either. The school campus is covered in weeds and shrubs, and the school building has water seepage and blockage.
Sarfaraz concludes his video by asking for the school to be repaired and asks the authorities to question the teachers on why the money meant for the school is not put into getting it fixed.
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