Students of two schools in Murshidabad’s Pratapganj are missing out on classes for a year as 40-30 families displaced by erosion have been given shelter at these institutions since September 2022.

In the first week of September last year, erosion along the banks of the Ganga at Pratapganj had rendered more than a 100 families homeless. While financially better off people had relocated themselves on their own, the administration had accommodated some 40 and 30 poorer families at Pratapganj Junior High School and Pratapganj Primary School, respectively.

While Pratapganj Junior High School has 126 students, Pratapganj Primary School has 83.

However, schoolteachers said the continued occupation of classrooms by homeless families affected students badly. The impact was evident as both schools did not have new enrolments this year.

“Who wants to get enrolled in schools where classes are not held?” asked a teacher.

Headmasters and authorities of both the schools said they had repeatedly informed the BDO and Samserganj school inspector (SI) about the situation but got no response.

“I repeatedly wrote to the BDO through the SI. The authorities have not taken any steps yet. We want the classrooms to be cleared so that we can resume classes with immediate effect,” said Chandan Das, the headmaster of Pratapganj Primary School.

The teachers are worried that continued closure of the schools would lead to dropouts.

“Most of the students enrolled in these schools do not come from affluent families. The students come from families of bidi workers and daily wage earners. They can't exert pressure on the administration. Many high school students are already helping parents roll bidis,” said a teacher of Pratapganj Primary School.

Teachers go to schools to mark their attendance every day but return home without taking classes. Out of the six rooms in Pratapganj Primary School, four rooms continue to be occupied by the families.

Mohan Sarkar, a Class VIII student of Pratapganj Junior High School, said: “I am worried that a lot of students like me might have to discontinue education.”

Asked how exams are held, teachers refused to speak. However, on the condition of anonymity, a teacher said they had no other option but to assess students on the basis of the results of the previous year.

While education of these students remains severely affected, the authorities say they didn’t have much to do in taking steps to evacuate the two schools that remain occupied for a year now.

The SI of Samserganj, Hosneara Khatun, said: “My hands are tied. The authorities themselves had allotted the school spaces to the homeless.... I am in no position to do anything. I have done my bit in forwarding the letters to the BDO.”

One of the homeless persons at a school said, on the condition of anonymity, that they were aware of the crisis that students were facing. "We are sorry because children's studies are getting affected because of us. But as we are poor people, we can't set up homes without government support," he said.

Some members of the families claimed that the government had allotted them land to build houses but the cost of construction had not been sanctioned by the authorities.

Apu Sarkar, residing in Pratapganj Junior High for a year now, said: “In May 2022, we were allotted plots and promised a sum of Rs 1.2 lakh by chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The funds never came. So we are unable to build our houses and have to live here till the government gives us the promised money.”

BDO Sujit Chandra Lodh said: “Letters from headmasters have made me aware of the situation at these schools. I will take steps as and when the higher authorities instruct me.”