Classrooms declared unsafe, Ludhiana students left out in cold

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 18

With barely two months to go for the Education Department’s March 31 deadline for turning all schools in Ludhiana district ‘smart’, several schools continue to hold classes in the open in the biting cold.

Nearly two years after around 60 classrooms in the district were declared unsafe by the Public Works Department, no action has been taken despite repeated reminders by respective schools. Students of Government Primary School, Jahangirpur, have been forced to attend classes in the open as the school building was declared unsafe by the PWD in 2018.

A total of 205 students are enrolled in the school having pre-primary and primary classes, besides a class for children with special needs.

Since the building has been declared unsafe, students are made to sit in the open. On rainy days, the classes are shifted to the langar hall of a nearby gurdwara. Only one class is held in a classroom.

Earlier, classes were held regularly at the gurdwara but it didn’t turn out to be a viable option due to functions and religious events.

School head Manmohanjit Singh said despite repeated reminders to the department, nothing has been done so far. “We are forced to make students sit out in the cold as we have no option. Studies are affected during extreme weather conditions like rain or wind,” he said. At Government High School, Sunet, nine rooms have been declared unsafe. Over 400 students were affected. The school’s total strength is 733.

“We are trying to make students as much comfortable as possible. Since the weather conditions are harsh these days, we do not take classes in the open and have shifted these to staffroom, labs and verandah,” said Manju Bala, in-charge of the school.

Another senior secondary school in Khanna has six of its classrooms declared unsafe. There are a total of 388 students and several of them are forced to sit under the shed.

Despite repeated attempts, Education Secretary Krishan Kumar could not be reached for comment.