Same old story: Inadequate space, staff, funds

Kulwinder Sangha 

Mohali, April 25

Government Middle School in Phase VII has its own share of shortcomings with a lot more needed to be done to take it to the next level.

Its hurdles, at present, extend from a shortage of classrooms to the lack of all prescribed textbooks even after more than three weeks into the new academic session and congress grass growing on the premises, exposing children to possible allergies from the noxious weed.

Two sections of Class VII have been combined for teaching purposes, adversely affecting the quality of classroom activity. The shortage of space has arisen because  the school has been turned into a marking centre for the Class XII examination of the Punjab School Education Board. Two rooms have to be provided to teachers who come to check answersheets, work on which is expected to go on for four to six weeks. 

Head teacher Harpreet Kaur said the school library and a science laboratory were also used to hold classes as     paper marking was in progress.  

Another room has been callously blocked for the past two years by the DPI’s office, which stored books and other material when the office was shifted from Chandigarh to the education board complex in Phase VIII. Indifferent officials have not bothered to vacate the room for school use. It  has been unlocked hardly once or twice since then.

There are seven teachers for a student strength of 119.   While students of Class VI have received textbooks for the new session, only about 50 per cent of the books have been provided so far to classes VII and VIII.

Owing to a paucity of funds, teachers are compelled to contribute from their own pocket every month to help run the school. 

Thanks to social organisations and individuals, Government Primary School also functions  from the same building as the other school seems to be a cut above similar institutions here. 

It has 211 students on the rolls and six teachers apart from a volunteer teacher. With social bodies pitching in, the primary school has adequate number of classroom benches and fans. Municipal councillors of the area, too, make donations to it. A water filter has been gifted to the school by a private company. 

However, students of classes III and IV are yet to get new textbooks even though the session began on April 1. Students of Class I have only received a Punjabi textbook and those of Class V a maths book. Class IV has been provided with English and Hindi textbooks. Students have no option, but to use old books, many of which are in poor condition. 

Head teacher Sandeep Singh said congress grass had earlier been cleared from the school premises by Municipal Corporation employees. Somehow, this time there had been a delay in the removal of the weed. 

DEO (Secondary) Surinder Singh Sidhu was not available for comments.