Nine primary, two middle schools in Patiala district sans campus
As per education department’s data, since their inception, most of these schools are functioning from premises of local gurdwaras, temples and dharmshalas
Amid biting cold, 114 students of Government Elementary School in Deep Nagar are forced to study in the open. They sit on the ground in Gurdwara New Bishan Nagar compound due absence of school building and campus.
This is not the only government school in district with such plight. Around 11 government primary and middle schools in Patiala district do not have their own campus and building. And nine of these are functioning from local gurdwara, mandir or dharmshala premises since their inception.
The matter came to fore after the district education department identified such schools with an aim to pursue the matter with the state government. Due to lack of building and campus of these schools, students have to travel more than three kilometre to reach the school.
Primary schools of Munshian Mohalla, Railway Colony, Baazigar Basti, Gobind Nagar, Dhiru Ki Majra, Deep Nagar, Harijan Basti, Rawas Brahmna village and Kukka; and the middle schools of Dhiru Ki Majra, Jaullan village do not have a campus or school building.
A senior official of the education department, pleading anonymity, said, “We have identified nine primary and two middle schools that do not have their own building or campus. Of the nine primary schools, seven are functioning from gurdwara, temple or dharamshala premises ever since these schools were started.”
“Apart from this, a school has been functioning from a Kothi at Rawas Brahmna from past three months. Another school is being run from a gym at Kukka village in Samana since April this year. This was because both the schools’ buildings were declared unsafe,” he added.
In the absence of a building or campus, the teaching staff and students are facing multiple issues including shortage of space, bone-chilling cold in winters, torrential monsoons, and sweltering summers.
A teacher, pleading anonymity, said, “Separate washroom for boys and girls are a necessity at government schools, but we do not have even a single washroom. Students are forced to use community washrooms, which are mostly unclean. We have to face other problems as well, including braving extreme weather conditions.”
“Whenever a function is organised on the dharamshala, temple or gurdwara campuses where schools are being run, people park their vehicle on the community grounds. This further eats away the space available for us and causes disturbance for the students,” the teacher added.
An official of the district education department said, “The state government had started the Government Elementary School at Deep Nagar in 1992. However, they had not allotted any land for running the school. Since then, it is operational from the premises of Gurdwara New Bishan Nagar, which is around 3km away from Deep Nagar. The students end up covering the distance daily to reach the school, which is a violation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act.”
Deputy education officer Madhu Barua said, “We have sent a list of demands of land and building for these schools to the state education department. The problems of these schools will be solved whenever we receive a green signal from them and get allotted land.”
Director general school education (DGSE, Punjab) Mohammad Tayyab said, “I will talk to the officials concerned and look into the matter immediately.”