Classes being run in a shed in Karnal school

Parveen Arora

Karnal, December 15

Forced to compromise due to the lack of rooms, three out of five classes of Government Primary School in Madanpur village, which is a part of the Karnal Municipal Corporation (KMC), are being run under a shed, which was constructed by a private company. The space under the shed is insufficient for students of five classes of this school, established in the 1980s.

As per information, there were four rooms in the building. Two of them were declared unsafe and demolished, while the remaining two are also in a poor condition. As many as 146 students have enrolled in five classes in this school who are taught by four teachers, including the head of

the school.

Students of Classes I to III are taught under the shed, while students of Classes IV and V are accommodated in two rooms where the ration of mid-day meal and furniture along with other goods are kept. Due to the lack of a kitchen, the mid-day meal is cooked in the open.

In the absence of a classroom, a shed with a partition was constructed by a company under the CSR in April-May, but that is not sufficient to accommodate five classes.

As per teachers, they cannot conduct classes under the shed during summer owing to the heat and the partition sheets are very thin, which are not able to stop the noise resulting in lack of concentration among students.

As per sources, a piece of land was earmarked for the construction of buildings, but the land is yet to be transferred to the Education Department. “We have sent our request for the construction of the building to the District Elementary Education Officer (DEEO) several times in the past, but to no avail,” said a teacher.

Baljeet Punia, District Elementary Education Officer (DEEO), said he had joined recently and would look into the matter.