Jalpaiguri, Sept. 2 -- In an age of digital governance, teachers of Karladugi Primary School in Rajganj block are forced to travel nearly 6 km to find mobile connectivity. Located deep inside the Baikunthapur forest, the school has no mobile or internet network from any service provider nearby.

Teachers regularly travel to Gatebazar to submit government-mandated reports, including mid-day meal records.

The connectivity crisis recently forced a teacher to risk his life to inform parents about a holiday. The school received information about a holiday for Manasa Puja around 9 pm.

Following the headmaster's instructions, an assistant teacher rode through the forest towards Saraswatipur Tea Garden. He went from one labour quarter to another despite the threat of elephants and leopards and returned home around 1 am.

"There is no mobile tower in or around the school. As per School Education Department instructions, we have to submit the mid-day meal report by 2.30 pm. But there is no way to send it from the school. We therefore have to travel nearly 6 km to Gatebazar to get network connectivity," said acting headmaster Rabin Mondal.

Established in 2005, the school has two teachers for 33 students. Many students do not understand Bengali, forcing teachers at the Bengali-medium school to explain lessons in Hindi.

Wildlife is another major challenge. Elephants reportedly enter the school premises around four days a week in search of rice stored for the mid-day meal, damaging doors, windows and the kitchen.

Food supplies are now kept in an iron safe. Leopards are also frequently spotted on roads leading to the school.

"There is no mobile network here, so many people do not even use mobile phones. Despite the fear of elephants and leopards, we have to send our children to school, keeping their future in mind," said the student's father Ramesh Kharia.

District Primary School Education Inspector Shyamal Roy said several wildlife-damaged schools had been repaired, while others were being covered under a Central government infrastructure scheme. "However, mobile network connectivity remains a major problem at this school," he said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.