Abhishek Kumar Dash is a Community Correspondent from Nuapada district, Odisha. His dream was to become an engineer. Though he enrolled in a B.Sc. program, he was forced to drop out halfway through, as his family faced dire financial circumstances. He then started and gave up a successful business, to become a social activist because he felt the need for…

Abhishek Dash

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Struggling with lack of classrooms and teachers, this school in Odisha narrowly escaped an accident that could have gone very wrong. You can help the students at this school get the needed facilities.

Call to Action: Please call Mr. Shankar Prashad Majhi, the Block Education Officer, Titlagarh Block on 09437760646.

Since the launch of our campaign 'Pass Ya Fail?' an audit of the Right to Education Act in India, our Community Correspondents have been busy visiting schools in their areas to document the ground level challenges in getting children access to education.

Today's video comes from the Government Upgraded School in Sahini village in Odisha's Bolnagir District. Abhishek Kumar Das reports how the lack of an adequate number of teachers and other infrastructure mandated by the RTE Act lead to an accident that left one child severely injured.

This school has a shortage of teachers as well as classroom. Most children have their classes and mid day meals out in the open.This affects not just the academics of the children but also compromises their safety. At one lunch break a child got burnt as he fell over a pot of hot rice that was kept aside to serve the children.

He had to be rushed to a hospital and the school helped to organise funds for his treatment.

The school has 366 kids and 9 teachers to look after them. The RTE Act mandates a teacher student ratio of 1:30 which means that this school needs at least 3-4 more teachers. Had there been more teachers, an accident could have been avoided. In this school the Pricipal, Anadi Das has been trying to get the school fixed up but feels that authorities higher-up have no interest in his school, nor in the children's safety.

The next step is to make this school safe for the students here. Correspondent Abhishek Dash is going to his bit by taking this video to the authorities. You can do yours by picking up the phone and making a phone call.