Nizam-era school in ruins, students fear for safety

KARIMNAGAR: The Government High School, built in the Nizam era, in the Old City Centre turned decrepit about 10 years ago. With the walls crumbling and roofs leaking, the situation is so dire now that students and teachers remain in constant fear during the school hours.

Ramachandram, a Class 9 student, recounted incidents of roof portions collapsing and water seeping into classrooms during the rainy season.

This school has around 430 students, most of whom come from the government-integrated hostel adjacent to the school. Students have had narrow escapes on multiple occasions when roof portions collapsed.

The school was built in 1934 and has been operating in the same building ever since. Adjacent to this, a new school building is under construction. While it was being built, the former BRS government planned a theme park on the school grounds.

Due to a shortage of classrooms, students are forced to sit in the hall for classes. Moreover, the school has insufficient toilets, with only eight toilets available for 430 students. Students allege that they have to wait for their turn to use the toilets during recess.

Expressing concern about the condition of the building, Velpula Balaiah, who teaches Social Studies, said that teachers and students are always on alert. This situation prevents them from concentrating on teaching and learning effectively, he added.