“The teachers hastily tell us to leave whenever the sky turns cloudy,” said a fifth-grader of Maligram Government Primary School.

Maligram is one of the eight schools of the upazila whose buildings have been identified as ‘risky’ by the primary education office.

The others are – Neraudi Government Primary School, Kholagam Government Primary School, Panjipuri Government Primary School, Kismot Government Primary School, Pollishashon Government Primary School, Arengabad Government Primary School, and Paton-2 Government Primary School.

Titu Chanda Das, the upazila’s acting primary education officer, said they prepared the list recently after the ministry ordered them to identify risky primary school buildings.

“It’s possible to take classes at these schools when the weather is favourable,” he said. “But teachers have been discouraged to take classes in bad weather.”

He said they had already sent the list of risky buildings to the ministry. “They can now either repair the existing ones or build new buildings. It’s up to them,” Das said.

Some of these buildings are tin-shed. “They can collapse any moment,” said one Faruk Ahmed, the guardian of a student.

“Areas like ours are neglected. That’s why our schools are forced to suspend studies in bad weather or during rain,” said Shahjahan Ahmad, a guardian from Naraudi village.

Beanibazar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Kazi Arifur said the government is very sincere about the primary education system. “Necessary measures will be taken about the risky buildings according to government directives,” he said. “It’ll get top priority.”