Mohali govt school students battle odds for education

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, August 3

Heard of a school having no classroom? If not, then visit the Government Elementary School at Rurki Pukhta village, located on Kharar-Ludhiana highway.

The 58 students of the school have been forced to study in the verandah or a room, which is the principal office-cum-staffroom-cum-record room, or computer lab.

The school has no classroom for nearly a year now. The authorities had got three rooms of the school building razed early last year as those were declared ‘unsafe’.

“We are waiting for a grant from the government. Several communiqués have been sent to the authorities concerned in this regard, but to no avail,” said Ekta, the headmistress of the school.

During a random visit to a number of schools in the district, the Chandigarh Tribune team found common problems there. Students of junior classes were seen squatted on mats as none of the schools the team visited had benches.

The staff shortage and inadequate infrastructure were other glaring shortcomings. To top it all, a lack of enthusiasm among government teachers towards their job responsibility was also evident.

In most of the schools, students were seen sitting idle, talking or playing while their teachers were sitting together and chatting.

At the Rurki Pukhta school, students were attending their classes sitting on floor mats in the verandah. No blackboard or other paraphernalia was available, belying the Punjab Government’s tall claims of lifting the standard of education in the state.

“We are helpless. What we can do as construction of classrooms is not in our hands,” said a teacher.

The students, most of whom are residents of the village, said they had braved the winters while attending classes in the open. “In absence of proper classrooms, the study is being badly affected,” said another teacher at the school.

Ironically, the school has won the ‘best school’ award for its better results around 10 years ago.

Govt Primary School, Chappar Chhiri Kalan

The Government Primary School at Chappar Chhiri Kalan village is another example of dismal affairs at government schools in the state. Only two teachers look after five classes here. “One can easily understand the state of education in the school,” said a staff member.

Sources said before the classes began, students had to clean the classrooms and the courtyard of the school premises. “Only after that, the classes are held. Due to staff shortage, three classes always remain without teachers,” said the sources.

The approach path to the school has wild growth on its both sides.

“The students put their lives to risk daily while passing through the wild growth. Reptiles are a common sight there but nobody seems to be bothered,” said Kulwant Kaur, a resident of the village.

Govt Primary School, Chappar Chhiri Khurd

With three classes being run from a single room at Government Primary School at Chappar Chhiri Khurd village, one can understand how much students would comprehend in the cacophony. For a total of five classes, the school has just two rooms, adjusting three classes in one room and the remaining two in the other.

The classes were being held at the time the team’s visit to the school. “In the cacophony (due to more than one class in a room), we don’t understand what our teachers teach us,” said one of the students.

“You can easily understand the situation of the teachers and students when three classes are being taken simultaneously in one room. What more can we say,” said a staff member.

The Sarv Sikhya Abhiyan’s Elementary School with a total strength of 38 students is also being run from the same premises.

Govt Primary School, Lakhnaur

This school with a total strength of 85 students has a problem with its ‘kutcha’ approach path. “It is horrendous to reach the school on a rainy day. The 100-metre path becomes full of slush,” said Sukhmit Kaur, the school headmistress, who had a slip disc after she skidded on the path recently.

She added that most of the students are from families of migrants. “These children leave the school at their will, without informing anybody,” said the headmistress.

In absence of benches, the students were seen sitting on the floor. As the school has no sweeper, cleanliness is another issue here. However, with four teachers the staff strength was adequate.