Over 530 primary school students forced to study in extreme weather conditions
Over 530 students of Government Primary School, Dr Ambedkar Nagar, are forced to study under miserable conditions as the school’s complex does not have any proper building or even adequate classrooms for the children. In the absence of proper infrastructure, the students are made to sit in verandahs, be it in scorching summer, humid monsoon or biting cold. There are only three rooms in the school and the authorities try to accommodate students in these turn-wise.
A visit to the school on Tuesday revealed how difficult it was for teachers and students attend school in such a situation. The school authorities have requested the Education Secretary to introduce the two-shift system for classes at the school so that even primary school students can be accommodated in classrooms during their classes.
The head teacher of the school, Gurmeet Chauhan, said an application regarding the request to introduce dual shift for classes at the school had already been submitted to the Education Secretary.
She said it was learnt that the application had been approved and sent to the DPI concerned but they did not have information about the reason for its delay.
Gurmeet Chauhan joined the school as the head teacher in 2023. For the past over eight years, the primary students had been studying at the school in such conditions.
It was noticed that the students were unable to focus on their studies due to distractions in surroundings, including the hustle and bustle in the ground and the verandah, where teachers and students from senior secondary school also sit. To make matters worse, loud music was being played in a building near the school for the Makar Sankranti celebrations.
One of the teachers said: “Look at the situation. How we teach the students. There are so many distractions all around. Be it any season or extreme weather, the pupils are made to sit outside as there are not enough rooms in the building. We had two more rooms that were declared unsafe and demolished. We hope that the authorities concerned realise and do the needful as soon as possible. The three rooms in the school are also in a dilapidated condition.”
Meanwhile, Government Senior Secondary School, also having a strength of over 500 students, in the same complex has nine rooms where primary students can attend their classes and focus on their studies.
District Education Officer Ravinder Kaur said she was aware of the condition of the school. The file requesting to introduce two-shift system at the school had already been sent to the head office. The department was waiting approval from the higher authorities to improve the situation at the institute, she added.
