Chandigarh, Aug 12
The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the alarming condition of government schools in Hisar district.
As per a media report of August 7, though buildings or major portions of 27 government schools have been declared “unsafe” by the Public Works Department (PWD), classes continue in them. Students are reportedly being taught in open verandahs, sealed rooms, laboratories and staff halls, often sitting on the floor.
The ongoing monsoon season has increased risks, including the danger of snake bites and other hazards, said the report.
According to the full Bench comprising Chairperson Justice Lalit Batra and members Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia, this is not a matter of mere inconvenience but a direct endangerment to the lives and safety of school children.
At Government Senior Secondary School in Mangali, for instance, 480 students are studying in an open verandah after 22 classrooms were sealed due to collapse risk. In Dobhi village, all 24 classrooms are in a bad state, forcing students into cramped libraries, laboratories and staff rooms.
Likewise, in Dhansu, Siswala, Arya Nagar, Rajli and other schools, children are being taught in unsafe sections of buildings where the risk of falling walls or ceilings is constant.