The building of the A.S.Pushkin secondary school in Kaskelen, Karasai district, Almaty region, is in poor condition. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
Parents have raised the alarm and are demanding a major overhaul. A Sputnik Kazakhstan correspondent visited the site to hear residents' complaints.
"We come with requests every year"
In Karasai district there are only two schools providing inclusive education for special-needs children, one of them being the Pushkin secondary school. The building was constructed 62 years ago. In 2016 the windows were replaced; no other major repairs have been carried out. Apart from the walls being intact, everything has fallen into disrepair.
"My older sister studied at this school, she is now seventy. They say repairs will be carried out right during the school term. How many times have we asked, pleaded — why wasn't it done before? Now if repairs start, they say we'll have to move to another school, we are against it," says a parent named Zarema.
No sports ground either
The school does not even have a basic sports ground. "Children come covered in dust and dirt. At least they could lay down some grass. They kick the ball raising dust, their clothes are a mess," parents say.
On top of that, the smell of the old toilet at the school is overwhelming. "My daughter studies in a classroom right next to that toilet. To get rid of the stench they sprinkle bleach. My daughter says, 'Mama, it's impossible to breathe.' The foul smell has been a long-standing problem," say parents at the Pushkin school.
Parents' complaints are justified
More than 40 children requiring special care study at this school. The number of children is growing; another 100 students arrived this year.
"The education department has prepared the project and estimate documentation and submitted it to the regional akimat. Because a major overhaul should have been carried out earlier. The school is not a closed institution, we cannot hide it," says Kanat Kokanov, director of the A.S.Pushkin school.