Students of Varanasi blind school in a bind as classes are shut for ‘lack of funds’

  • | Saturday | 8th August, 2020

A residential school for visually impaired students in Varanasi that receives half of its funding from the Central Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is set to stop teaching classes 9 to 12 because of an alleged delay in the payment of the annual government grant for the past two years, and lack of donations. An official of the Sri Hanuman Prashad Poddar Smriti Sewa Trust, which runs the Sri Hanuman Prashad Poddar Andh Vidyalay, blamed the “indiscipline of students” as well.

Varanasi: A residential school for visually impaired students in Varanasi that receives half of its funding from the Central Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is set to stop teaching classes 9 to 12 because of an alleged delay in the payment of the annual government grant for the past two years, and lack of donations. An official of the Sri Hanuman Prashad Poddar Smriti Sewa Trust, which runs the Sri Hanuman Prashad Poddar Andh Vidyalay, blamed the “indiscipline of students” as well.

However, several of the 29 students at risk told The Indian Express that the decision was taken because the school is in the heart of the city, and some traders want to build a mall at its site. “They are planning to shut down the school in a phased manner. They want to build a mall here,” alleged a student, who did not wish to be identified. The Trust’s joint secretary, Akhilesh Khemka, dismissed the allegation, calling it baseless. “How can a mall be built here? The land belongs to the Trust and not the school…There is rule of law in the country. There is no plan to build a mall at the school site,” he said.

The administration’s decision has put the students’ future in jeopardy. Class 11 student Arjun Yadav, whose father is a farmer in a village around 20 km from Varanasi city, said he had been studying at the school since nursery. In June last week, he received a letter from the school informing him of its decision. “In the letter, they asked me to take admission in one of the schools for visually impaired students in Lucknow, Banda and Gorakhpur. Most students who study here are from neighbouring districts to Varanasi and some may have to give up studies if their parents don’t allow them to go to a school in a far-off district,” said Yadav. He added, “This is the only school for visually impaired students in the entire Purvanchal region. Most students who come to the school are from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Yadav’s classmate Ravi Rai, who is from Azamgarh and has also studied at the school since nursery, expressed doubts about his future. “I don’t know if I will be able to continue my studies if they shut down the school. If classes 9-12 are shut, then all students will have to search for a new school after Class 8 which is not easy for visually impaired students,” said Rai, whose father is also a farmer. Explaining the Trust’s decision, Khemka said, “The school is being shut down because the donations we used to receive from local traders and others have dried up. The donations have dried up due to losses in businesses owing to the lockdown. Another reason is that the students have shown indiscipline in the past. Last year, there was an incident where they indulged in vandalism. Now, no one wants to donate to the school where such undisciplined students study.”

He added, “We get Rs 64 lakh annual fund from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. But since, 2018-’19 session, no funds have come. In the 2018-’19 session, Rs 45 lakh came as the first instalment. But after that no money has come, forcing us to shut down some classes. These students who are being asked to leave can easily take admission in another school for visually impaired students. We are in a lot of debt as we are trying to run the school.”

 

Rajesh Kumar Mishra of the Divyang Kalyan Adhikari in Varanasi also said the Divyangjan Sashaktikaran Vibhag of the Central ministry had not sent the entire grant since 2018-’19.

“The school administration is saying that they are not getting donations from people due to the lockdown and hence, they are making the school smaller. The district administration has already written to the Central government and all concerned authorities in the state regarding the issue,” Mishra told The Indian Express on Tuesday.

The Trust has around 350 members, and a Board Committee that has 21 members who are mostly traders. The school was established in 1972, and received approval to hold Class 10 examinations in 1990, and Class 12 exams three years later. At present, it has 168 students, and is recognised by the Uttar Pradesh education board.


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