Government School, Hostel Conditions Make 180 Students Walk Home

A recent and alarming incident has come to light in Nabrangpur, Odisha, where over 180 students of Sanatemera High School have walked home for about 12 kms as a protest against inadequate basic amenities and facilities, poor food quality, and hostel conditions.
According to the students, the school and government-run hostel do not have basic facilities and bad quality food is being served to them due to which they have decided to go back to their homes. Also, there is not enough accommodation and many students are cramped up in small spaces forcing them to live in overcrowded conditions. This has resulted in students leaving for their villages, even if they have to walk for 12 kms to reach there.

Locals have backed the students and have claimed that the boundary walls of the hostel are damaged and there are no basic facilities such as a proper washroom either. Madhu Majhi, a local resident of Nabrangpur, alleged that students do not have access to good quality food and have deteriorated living conditions at the government-run hostel.

Amid this, the headmistress, Rajalakshmi Maharana, has dismissed the allegations and said that students are concerned only about the limited space available in the hostel and that the school is repeatedly asking for extra hostel accommodation. She also mentioned that quality food is being served and rejected the allegations of stale food being served to students. She has assured that the school administration will take this matter seriously and put an effort to bring the students back to the school.

This is concerning and has raised questions on the facilities for these government school students. In a recent NITI Ayog report, nearly 94,000 government schools ceased operations between 2014-15 and 2024-25, while enrolment in government schools dropped to 49.24%. Across various regions, authorities have implemented mergers for institutions experiencing dwindling attendance figures, aiming to enhance educational resources and faculty accessibility.

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