Demolished Classrooms, Veranda Lessons, Delayed Buildings Expose Punjab School Crisis

Description

An India Today Fix Our Schools ground report from Punjab highlights severe infrastructure deficiencies across multiple government schools in the state. In Sangrur, a school building constructed in 1971 was demolished after suffering rain damage and developing cracks. Three months after the demolition, students continue to attend classes at the village Dharamshala, where parents report inadequate space and malfunctioning fans despite official assurances of sanctioned funds. In Sunam, an 80-to-90-year-old school facility forces three different classes to share a single veranda due to severe space constraints, leaving over a hundred pre-primary to class five students crammed into limited space amidst high temperatures. Teachers express safety concerns regarding dilapidated rooms during heavy rainfall. Meanwhile in Fazilka, students continue learning on a veranda seven months after the original school building was demolished following assurances of a new facility. In response, government representatives state that education funding remains a priority, claiming that most school constructions are either complete or in progress.