The deteriorating condition of a government middle school building in Kalyanpur, located within Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur district, has raised serious safety concerns for students, forcing school authorities to relocate daily classes to a nearby temple premises. With structural failures threatening student safety inside the dilapidated building, school administration took the decision to shift teaching activities to the open grounds of the local temple. At present, young students assemble in the temple courtyard for their daily lessons, while the original government school facility remains completely abandoned and unattended.
Dilapidated Structure and Water Leaks Create Severe Hazard
The original building of the Purva Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Kalyanpur had been in a dangerously dilapidated state for a prolonged period. Water seeped continuously through the ceiling during rain spells, while parts of the external eaves and balconies had already collapsed. Structural damage reached a critical level as concrete chunks peeled away from walls and slabs, exposing the underlying iron reinforcement bars. Operating classes in such a fragile environment posed a constant risk of collapse, creating anxiety among teachers, staff, and parents regarding the safety of the children.
Faced with mounting hazards, the school leadership formally notified higher authorities in the education department about the structural failure. To avert any potential tragedy, the decision was finalized to conduct classes within the safer environment of the temple campus. School Incharge Chanda Devi stated that official instruction was sought before moving the students, and the school has been functioning out of the temple premises since March 26. She explained that heavy water leakage and falling balcony sections made it impossible to retain students inside the old classrooms.
Shifting History and Efforts to Preserve Student Enrollment
The educational facility has faced ongoing operational disruptions in recent years. Incharge Chanda Devi shared that during the year 2024, the school was temporarily relocated to the neighboring village of Bibipur due to initial building concerns. However, moving the school away from Kalyanpur led to a drastic drop in student enrollment, as many local children struggled with travel distance. To save the institution from closure and ensure that Kalyanpur children remained enrolled, operations were brought back to the locality, even though a safe government building was unavailable.
Upon returning to Kalyanpur, the absence of a repaired or alternative government building meant that the temple was the only viable refuge. Teachers and local community members arranged basic seating in the temple grounds to prevent any interruption in the children's academic calendar, ensuring that student retention figures did not collapse due to infrastructure deficits.
Official Departmental Action and State Project Office Proposal
Formal complaints regarding the hazardous building were submitted to education department officials, including the Basic Education Officer (BSA). Following inspection reports and photographic evidence of the crumbling infrastructure, department authorities issued clear directives strictly prohibiting any classroom activity inside the condemned structure. Unattended since its closure, the abandoned building has suffered further degradation, with additional concrete fragments detaching over time.
Addressing the situation, BSA Jaunpur Samir Yadav confirmed that official reports regarding the temple-based operation were received through the Block Education Officer. He stated that the building has been formally declared dilapidated after administrative evaluation. To resolve the infrastructure crisis, a comprehensive proposal for building reconstruction has been submitted to the State Project Office for formal review and allocation of funds.
Awaiting Permanent Infrastructure and Future Outlook
BSA Samir Yadav emphasized that the temporary arrangement was initiated specifically to protect student enrollment numbers and maintain academic continuity. He confirmed that explicit instructions have been issued to the teaching staff to ensure that educational quality remains uncompromised despite the physical limitations of the makeshift campus. Department officials are currently evaluating secondary temporary sites until the central state authority releases directives for a permanent structure.
While operating out of a temple campus serves as an emergency stopgap, parents and community members remain concerned about seasonal weather challenges and long-term stability. Students and families in Kalyanpur now await official approval and budget release from the State Project Office, hoping for the rapid construction of a secure, fully-equipped government school building.
