A heart-wrenching video capturing schoolchildren reciting their lessons aloud while rain pours through a broken roof has gone viral, sparking public outcry and forcing long-overdue attention on a neglected primary school in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district.
The video, shared widely across social media, shows students at Chinaramgre Government Lower Primary School sitting under a classroom roof that is nearly 50 per cent damaged. With rainwater seeping through gaping holes and harsh sunlight beating down on them on dry days, these children are being forced to learn in conditions unfit even for livestock, let alone students.
Located around 23 kilometers from Tikrikilla, in Raksamgre constituency, the school has long struggled with infrastructure decay. Yet, it took a viral video to jolt people into noticing. The footage triggered a flood of reactions shock, grief, and anger from netizens and civic bodies alike. Local media outlets, student unions, and education activists swiftly visited the school to assess the ground reality.
While India dreams of digital classrooms and smart education, the children of Chinaramgre dream only of a dry, safe place to sit and study.
“This is not just a school in disrepair—it’s a reflection of institutional apathy,” said Marking Stone B. Marak, President of the school’s managing committee. “In 2022, we submitted a memorandum to then-MLA Benidick, but no steps were taken. Later, the current MLA visited the site and saw the condition himself. Yet, to date, we have not received any action or written assurance from the government. Our pleas remain verbal, and our wait continues.”
The Garo Students’ Union (GSU) Western Zone also stepped in following the video. Its president, Mr. Odith Sangma, led a team to the school and interacted with villagers and students.
“When we saw the video, we thought it was fake. But when we came here, what we saw was even more painful. Students told us how they study while soaked in rain, and how their books get drenched too,” Mr. Sangma said. “I appeal to our Education Minister Rakkam and our Hon’ble Chief Minister to urgently address this. I still believe they will act.”
The school’s Vice President, Changal B. Marak, offered a somber reminder: “We have often seen children return home completely soaked. We dry their books and clothes under the sun. This isn’t just neglect—it’s humiliation.”
This incident underscores the urgent need for infrastructural reform in India’s remote rural schools. It also raises troubling questions about how many other such institutions exist, hidden from the spotlight.