Government schools battle space crunch
Even as the state government touts its ambitious education reforms, including its flagship project — the School of Eminence, the grim reality of many government schools tells a different story.
Severe space constraints have forced several schools to operate in double shifts or rely on makeshift arrangements, with students attending lessons under tin roofs in verandas, corridors and staff rooms.
Among the worst affected are Government Primary and Middle School in Basti Peer Daad, located on a disputed land at Basti Bawa Khel, Kapurthala Road, as well as Government Primary and Middle Schools in Kabir Nagar, Avtar Nagar, Babu Labh Singh Nagar, Jallowal and Government Primary School, Basti Sheikh. These schools, struggling in cramped buildings, are mostly poorly ventilated, with no space for even small playgrounds, depriving students of a proper learning environment.
At Basti Peer Daad school, which accommodates 550 students across primary, middle and pre-primary sections, only five classrooms are available for 10 sections of Classes I to V. With no alternative, Class II students are forced to study under a tin roof and temporary classes being held in bad conditions (a part of the disputed land), while others squeeze into shared classrooms or take lessons in corridors. The school spans over a kanal of land, yet nearly 8 marlas remain unused due to an unresolved land dispute.
Though the Education Department is working to either shift this school or buy some land in the same location, no headway has been made so far.
The situation is no better at Kabir Nagar School which, despite being labelled a ‘smart’ school with CCTV cameras and freshly painted walls, suffers from an acute space shortage. It operates in two shifts — primary classes from 7.30 am to 12.30 pm, followed by middle school from 12.30 pm to 5.30 pm. With no playground, students are forced to eat their midday meal inside the classrooms, while the only two toilets are located near the classrooms, creating an unbearable stench.
Similarly, Avtar Nagar School, with 250 students, is crammed into a structure built on just 3 to 4 marlas. Schools in Babu Labh Singh Nagar, Basti Sheikh and Jallowal face similar challenges — overcrowded classrooms, temporary arrangements and no space for physical activities.
Parveen Kumar, a vegetable seller whose son studies in Class VII at Basti Peer Daad School, voiced his frustration. “The school is close to my locality; otherwise, I would have admitted him elsewhere. There is no playground and no proper classrooms. How will students focus on their studies in such conditions?” he said, adding that while the government continues to roll out new initiatives or projects, improving existing schools should be the priority as without adequate infrastructure, the promise of quality education remains far from reality.
District Education Officer (Primary) Harjinder Kaur said relocating these schools isn’t easy due to the high student strength and difficulty in finding a suitable space nearby. As a solution, they have requested departmental approval to operate these schools in double shifts, ensuring that teachers do not have to rely on temporary arrangements such as setting up sheds and so that students do not have to endure a congested environment.
