Chandigarh: Miffed with their school lacking basic facilities ranging from a playground and laboratories to adequate classroom space, 104 pupils of the Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS) at Gohana in Sonepat have knocked at the doors of the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC), seeking intervention to resolve their grievances.
While setting the tone for further proceedings of the case that brings under spotlight the ailing infrastructure of government schools, the HHRC has stated that the grievances of students raise issues concerning safety, health, dignity and educational development of school-going children.
“Thus, adequate and safe school infrastructure, proper ventilation, reasonable learning space and access to sports and physical activity are not matters wholly detached from human rights,” said HHRC chairperson Justice Lalit Batra (retd), in his September 21 order.
“Where deficiencies in such facilities are of a nature or magnitude that they adversely affect the health, dignity, safety or meaningful access to education of children, the same may give rise to issues falling within the human-rights jurisdiction of the commission.’’
According to the order, the complainants have alleged that their school earlier had a playground, which is no longer available to the students. They complained that the classrooms are narrow and inadequately ventilated, with insufficient space for sports and laboratory activities.
Allegations have also been made regarding encroachments around the school premises, adversely affecting the academic environment. The complainants have sought removal of the alleged encroachments and development of the school building and playground on the land stated to be available for the school.
With this backdrop, the HHRC has directed the director general (secondary education) to conduct a physical inspection of GSSS, Gohana (school code 3560), and submit a “detailed factual report” answering nine points the commission has raised. The HHRC has said that the report should indicate whether any portion of the school land, playground is under encroachment or unauthorised occupation; condition of the playground and whether it is adequate according to the number of enrolled students; availability and condition of laboratory, sports, toilet, drinking water and other essential facilities.
The report has to have recent photographs of the school building, classrooms, laboratory, workshop, playground, surrounding land and alleged encroachments, along with a site plan/demarcation report clearly indicating the school land and any portion under encroachment.
The HHRC chairperson has directed to submit the report a week before next hearing of the case on November 4.
According to the HHRC’s order, 104 complaints were received from students of GSSS Gohana and were taken up together as they raised “identical and substantially similar grievances” regarding non-availability of playground, inadequate classroom space and ventilation, lack of adequate sports and laboratory facilities and alleged encroachments around the school premises.
“The complaints flag common concerns arising out of similar set of facts and involve common questions concerning the availability of safe and adequate educational infrastructure,” reads the order, pointing out that the complainants have alleged that their school earlier had a playground, which is no longer available to the students.
“It is further alleged that the classrooms are narrow and inadequately ventilated, with insufficient space for sports and laboratory activities. Allegations have also been made regarding encroachments around the school premises, adversely affecting the academic environment.”
In their complaints, HHRC said, the students have sought removal of the alleged encroachments.
“The grievances raise issues concerning the safety, health, dignity and educational development of school-going children,” reads the order, adding that no final findings can be recorded at this stage without obtaining a factual report from the authorities.