KADIPUR GOVT SCHOOL IN A SHAMBLES
Lack of classrooms and crumbling infrastructure have forced the students of Government Primary School in Kadipur to study on the floor.
On any given day, multiple sections of students can be seen sitting on carpets spread across different courtyards, as they take lessons. Established in 1957, the walls of the school’s original classrooms are cracked and dilapidated, with plaster peeling off their surface. Three new classrooms whose construction was started in the first half of 2018 are incomplete and do not have a roof or a floor. Only the skeletal structure and the boundary walls of these classrooms have come up.
The construction of these classrooms has been halted for the past 7 months. There are 830 students in the school, spread across 24 sections. However, there are only 13 classrooms.
When a Hindustan Times team visited the school on Friday, four different classes were taking place outside, on the courtyard, due to dearth of classrooms.
“Some classes take place outside on the floor and some within the classrooms. We don’t have enough rooms, and need to adjust accordingly,” said Golu, a Class-4 student. Ten-year-old Ashika Savita, a Class-5 student, said that she often feels cold while sitting on the carpet. “The floor feels cold, especially in winters,” she said.
Apart from the students, teachers also raised concerns about the paucity of classrooms. Vinod Parmal, a teacher, said that the school was ill-equipped to deal with more than 800 students. “The school infrastructure is only capable of accommodating around 250 students, whereas its strength is over 800. We have three partially completed classrooms whereas at least 9-10 are needed,” said Parmal.
Another teacher Kanchan, who goes by her first name, said that there had been an inordinate delay in the completion of construction work. “The older classrooms are in a shambles and newer classrooms have not been completed. Chunks of plaster keep falling off now and then. Thankfully, no one has been injured so far,” she said.
Vinod Kumar, administrative head of the school, admitted that the institution was suffering for lack of classrooms. “The construction of the new classrooms has been on hold for the past 6-7 months. We have submitted a file to the district project coordinator regarding the budget of construction. We have been told that the matter is pending in Chandigarh. Once the file is cleared and the remaining budget approved, we will get the three classrooms constructed,” said Kumar.