Despite this awfully poor performance, no official from the district education department ever visited the Bhaittapara Government Primary School since it was set up 36 years ago, Sadar Upazilla Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Dipak Chakrabarti said while talking to this correspondent recently.

As per official records, students drop out when they are in class four or five allegedly due to neglect of teachers, he said. The is a room for class five students but no students.

There are three teachers in the school in an area predominantly inhabited by Mro indigenous people who are mainly dependent on Jhum cultivation.

Officials at the district education office however attributed this to language problem. Students leave as Mro children can not follow the language of Bangalee teachers. The situation will improve now after appointment of an indigenous teacher, they said.

Since its establishment, there was only one teacher in the school till another was appointed last year, they said.

The school was recently shifted to Y Junction, a reasonably populated area, to attract students.