Municipal school shut since Sept, fate of over 500 students uncertain

At a time when the state is making tall claims of ensuring education for all with the implementation of Right to Education Act, fate of more than 500 students of Gandhinagar Municipal Primary School number 2 in the Nava Vadaj area of the city is hanging in balance.

The dilapidated school building has been closed for students since September last year with the claims of constructing a new building at the earliest. While, even after more than six months, the status of the building remains the same with no development in sight.

Though the corporation has shifted students to other two municipal schools and provided for a bus each for the school, most of the students have either dropped out or discontinued their education.

"The other school is so far from my place. There is a bus but we all cannot be accommodated in one bus. Also, commuting by bus is so time consuming. There is no other option for me but to sit at home now and take care of my younger brother while my parents are at work," said Grishma Chavada, a Class V student.

With the final examinations approaching next month, the situation is all the more grave. Also, with the limited infrastructure, the students had to face problems while accommodating in the new schools.

"After closing down of the school, I could not attend my classes regularly. I have no idea what other students of my class are studying and I am already behind the schedule. There was hardly much space in the classroom and thus at times we were asked to sit outside," said Jai Vaghela a Class VIII student. Similar were the views shared by sibling Aniket and Bhavesh Maheria, students of Class VII.

The school had more than 500 students from the vicinity studying in Class I to VIII. At present, younger students from Class I-III have been shifted to the municipal school in the Nava Vadaj village area while the older ones are shifted to Vyas Vadi municipal school near Akhbarnagar circle which is around 4-5 kilometres from the existing school.

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