Two children sling their satchels over their shoulders and go into the cowshed. There, under a tree, they sweep the earthen courtyard. They spread a mat. They set a table. They arrange chairs. Two little girls arrive. One starts sweeping with broom. The other, with a friend’s help, removes a black board.
It is 6.45 in the morning.
According to a survey by the education department, the state has 63,018 schools. Of these, 5,667 buildings are dilapidated — 1,579 have been formally declared unsafe.
They did not charge take any rent. But now a year has passed. The cows must be tied elsewhere, fodder must be stored. Renting out the space out has become a necessity. The state government has submitted a five-year plan in the High Court to repair these buildings. The Congress has repeatedly accused the government of trying to hide the condition of schools instead of improving them. Leader of the Opposition Tika Ram Jully warned that he and his MLAs will visit all schools and expose the truth; they will not allow this law to stand. “All we want is for the government to heed the High Court’s directive, to repair schools, to take children’s safety and the education system seriously. Schools remain in disrepair; roofs collapse during the monsoon, and children suffer. Now the government wants you not to go there – not journalists, not anyone to take pictures. It is as if the government is prepared to cross every limit to hide faults. The people are watching. The education minister appeared evasive. Asked about the order’s provisions and whether the department has clear guidelines, the minister avoided giving a straight answer.
The state has 63,018 schools, according to a survey by the education department. Of these, 5,667 buildings are dilapidated — 1,579 have been formally declared unsafe.
Lalchand told NDTV that after the school was shut, he allowed the classes to held here after the teacher requested him. “I may have to ask them to vacate,” he said. Congress leader Sachin Pilot also said the government is preventing people from visiting schools and taking photographs – an order issued to hide the reality. The government must be held accountable,” he said. When NDTV asked Madan Dilawar about the order, he said every department has its own rules.
