Readied last Oct, Noida school building still waits for students

More than 300 students of Primary School Gejha in Noida’s Bisrakh block continue to attend classes in overcrowded and unsafe rooms, even though a new 12-room school building on the same premises has been ready for months, according to a complaint by the All India Parents Association (AIPA).

The new building, completed in October 2024, has not been put to use allegedly because it awaits a formal inauguration by political leaders, AIPA national president Ashok Agarwal said in a letter to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

Agarwal, who recently visited the school, claimed that students are studying in a deteriorating structure with just four rooms—one of which serves as the Head of School’s office. Class 1 students share one of the remaining spaces, while the others sit on torn mats on the floor. Children in the Anganwadi centre, he added, are being taught under a temporary tent.

Calling the situation “shameful” and a “violation of children’s basic rights,” the letter cited the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and urged the government to allow immediate access to the new building without waiting for ceremonial proceedings.

“It is deeply unfortunate that a fully constructed school facility is lying idle while children are forced into unhygienic, overcrowded rooms,” Agarwal told Hindustan Times. “Delaying its use for political inaugurations is not just insensitive—it undermines the fundamental right to education.”

However, basic education officer Rahul Pawar refuted the claim that the building had been unused for six months. “The construction was only recently completed. Some electrical and furniture fittings were pending, which have now been addressed,” he said. “The inauguration is scheduled for next week. Developed under CSR, the facility can accommodate up to 400 students.”

Education rights advocates say this is not an isolated case. “Across several districts, we’ve seen instances where infrastructure lies unused due to bureaucratic or political delays,” said education activist Neha Tiwari. “While governments talk about improving learning outcomes, such ground realities expose a gap between intent and implementation. Access to resources shouldn’t hinge on protocol.”