Buildings unsafe, students forced to study in open

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, May 20

With school buildings declared unsafe, students of some primary and elementary schools in Faridkot are forced to study in the open.

When the mercury crosses 40°C, the students use their notebooks as ‘hand fans’ but seem unfazed as it is a routine for them for the past two years. Whenever there is rain, students get a holiday as there is no shelter to take cover.

Government primary schools in Pehluwala, Khara and Ghugiana villages and District Jail School in Faridkot are being run from decades-old crumbling buildings. About two years back, the Public Works Department had declared the buildings of these schools unsafe. Taking no risk, the teachers prefer to take classes under the shade of trees.

Holes in walls, dangling ceiling tiles, leaking roofs — this is the condition of a primary school in Pehluwala village where some parents assembled this week to protest against the authorities.

Several Central government schemes and grants are provided under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) for the renovation of government schools but these four schools in Faridkot district have not received a single penny for the purpose.

Dharambir Singh, Deputy District Education Officer, Faridkot, said the department was awaiting funds to build new rooms in these schools.

However, the managements of these schools said after waiting for funds from the Education Department, they had now started approaching NGOs and philanthropists.

Inderjit Singh Seikhon, a senior lawyer in Faridkot, donated Rs 1 lakh to Government Primary School, Ghugiana village, some days ago. The school is now waiting for some more money to start the construction work.