Karnataka: School roof collapses, 'caste census' holiday keeps students safe

Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Oct 14 (PTI) Holidays on account of the 'caste census' proved a boon for students of the Government Model Higher Primary School in Chittapur after the concrete roof of a classroom collapsed, school authorities said.

According to sources, the incident occurred on Monday afternoon, and no casualties were reported. The impact was so strong that all the furniture inside the room was destroyed, and the windows were shattered.

The 50-year-old school building houses Kannada, Urdu, and Marathi medium classes.

“Hundreds of students are being taught here. The situation is dire, with children having to attend lessons in fear for their lives every day. Teachers are worried that the entire building will collapse and claim the lives of their children,” a resident told PTI.

A teacher said, "Our school building looks nice from the outside, but the condition inside is terrible. The concrete on the roof of all the rooms is falling off every day. When the school starts after the Dasara vacation, we will hold classes outside." Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced a holiday for government and government-aided schools in the state from October 8 to 18 to allow teachers involved in the ongoing Social and Educational Survey—popularly called the ‘caste survey’—to complete the work. PTI COR GMS GMS SSK