Government Primary School, Qila Rehmatgarh: Primary school students block highway to protest poor facilities at Smart School

The students, a majority of whom donned their school uniforms and carried their school bags, raised slogans against the school administration.

A Class 4 student who took part in the protest said,”The school has a very limited number of  staff. No Grade 4 employees are available, due to which there is no cleanliness in the school. Bathrooms are not clean and even for general cleanliness, we students have to pitch in and take turns at times.”

On Monday, a number of parents too were spotted standing by the side of the Highway, indicating the fact that the students had launched their protest with the consent of their parents.

Later, a woman whose two kids study at the school said, “The school headmistress and staff do not coordinate between themselves, due to which the students suffer. The headmistress doesn’t even listen to parents, and at times has refused to sign some certificates when we approached her. We want the authorities to intervene and sort the issues out, besides ensuring something as basic as cleanliness in the school premises.”

The parents also alleged that mid-day meals at the school were not cooked properly and the kitchen in which food was prepared was filthy.

The Government Primary School in Qila Rehmatgarh of Malerkotla has a total of 850 students enrolled, who are taught by a total of only 14 teachers. Contacted, headmistress Seema Jindal told reporters that demand of adding atleast 10 more teachers had been sent to the district education officer.

“I am aware of the fact that there are no Grade IV employees in our school and I have raised this issue before the district education officer ( primary ) a number of times. We have never forced or engaged any student to carry out cleanliness activities on the school premises. The kitchen is clean and there is no anomaly in mid day meals being cooked there. We are managing the school properly with whatever limited staff that we have. The students are given the best possible care here.”

Later, a few representatives from Malerkotla MLA Jameel-Ur-Rehman’s office reached the spot and talked to the students and the parents, post which the dharna was lifted. It was assured to the parents and students that  cleanliness arrangements of the school would be done for sure.