A month after the UT administration took over the supervision of primary education back from the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC), the director school education (DSE), Rubinderjit Singh Brar, has constituted a committee to look into the infrastructure shortcomings in the eight primary schools of Chandigarh.
The development follows UT adviser Manoj Parida’s instructions to the education department to revamp the primary schools in 90 days.
The committee formed by the DSE is being headed by district education officer (DEO) Anujit Kaur and has assistant director (adult education) Sunil Bedi as a member.
NEED FOR CHANGE
The primary schools in Chandigarh currently face severe lack of basic facilities. Hindustan Times had earlier highlighted how these schools have water leaking from ceilings, swamped corners and termite-infested desks.
The schools—Government Primary School (GPS), Sector 12; GPS Bapu Dham Colony; GPS Buterla; GPS Mauli Complex; GPS Railway Colony; GPS Manimajra 1; GPS Manimajra 2, and Government Model Primary School, Sector 49—were earlier jointly managed by the MC and the education department.
Before the UT took over school administration, the staff and management of the schools were handled by the education department and the infrastructure maintenance was the MC’s responsibility.
{{/usCountry}}Before the UT took over school administration, the staff and management of the schools were handled by the education department and the infrastructure maintenance was the MC’s responsibility.
{{/usCountry}}“The UT administration took back the governance of these schools as there was gross mismanagement by the MC. Since 2010, the schools have been suffering because of no renovation of infrastructure,” said a UT official, who wish not to be named.
SCHOOLS BEING RUN OUT OF RENTED BUILDINGS
There are over 2,000 students studying in eight government model primary schools across Chandigarh.
With zero maintenance, the schools are currently being run out of rented buildings, lying in a shambles, thereby deteriorating the quality of education leading to decreased enrolments every year. There are no playgrounds on the premises, leaving students to go out and play in neighboring villages.
It was last year when UT administrator VP Badnore had approved the re-transfer of the schools. The school management had gone under the purview of the MC in 2010 when primary education along with health was transferred to it.
During the annual meeting of the project approval board (PAB) on July 7, 2018, the ministry of human resource development told the education department to bring all primary schools of the MC under the UT education department.
An official in the MC requesting anonymity said, “Because there was no individual accountability but a joint responsibility, the management of the schools took a hit.”
ISSUES SCHOOLS FACE
The condition of these primary schools is visibly deplorable. The GPS Railway Colony and Manimajra ll need the most urgent attention. In most of these schools, the buildings have been rented out. The infrastructure is poor and being able to afford furniture would be considered luxury. In GPS Buterla and Sector 41, the enrolment rate has gone from poor to very poor.
Rubinderjit Singh Brar, DSE, said, “I am expecting the report of committee shortly. After that we will write to the chief engineer regarding the upgrading of the infrastructure.”