Concerned parents of students attending Sri/Kan/Somapura Maha Vidyalaya, which falls under the Kantale educational zone, have voiced serious apprehensions regarding the safety of both students and teachers due to the frequent presence of wild elephants.
The school’s location, adjacent to a vast paddy field, poses a recurring issue as villagers dismantle the elephant fences after harvest. This leads to wild elephants encroaching on the school grounds.
Reportedly, there have been instances where these elephants remain in the school’s playground during the afternoon hours and even damage the school building walls.
With an enrollment of 250 students and a teaching staff of 13, the school has grappled with a shortage of mathematics and science teachers since 2019. To address this gap, the principal initiated a program that relies on university students to provide instruction in these subjects.
Parents have expressed frustration with what they perceive as a lack of action by authorities in addressing the persistent threat posed by wild elephants to the school and its community.