Govt primary schools crying for repair

Where one needs a conducive environment to study, students at government primary schools are being deprived of the same.

A visit to Government Primary School, Doraha, reveals that there are only four classrooms at the school that too below the ground level due to which water enter the classrooms when it rains thereby affecting both teachers and students, who are unable to teach as well as learn in such a situation.

Principal Karamjit Kaur said: "We need money to repair the classrooms as they are below the ground level. Cracks have developed on school walls, which is not safe for students. We have informed the education department about the condition of the classrooms, but in vain, as nobody has ever visited the school to check the condition of classrooms."

We have strength of 227 students at the school, with only seven classrooms, out of which four are unsafe, she added.

A visit to Government Primary School, Nandpur Sahnewal, also presented the same picture of neglect as with a strength of 150 students, the school had only three classrooms hence forcing students to sit in the open.

Sukhwinder Kaur, incharge of the school said: "There is shortage of classrooms. Hence we have no option but to make students sit in the open. Moreover, assessments are also going on. So to make students sit at a distance from each other, we are taking assessments in the corridors."

The condition of the classrooms is also not up to the mark. The walls are damp and cracks have developed. Sight of growth of wild grass in the school playground, which is otherwise meant for playing, was also appalling.

When asked the school incharge said: "We have informed the Nagar council committee to clean the playground and cut the grass 10 days ago, but no one has come so far."

When contacted, district education officer, elementary, Ranjit Singh Malhi was not available for comments.

Without benches, students made to sit on ground
Call it fate of students or apathy on government's part, those studying at government primary schools are made to sit on the ground, as there are no benches for them. A visit to three government schools by HT revealed that none of the government schools had benches and students were sitting on the ground and learning their lessons the hard way!