Because children in Nuh are learning next to farm animals and under trees, the Haryana Human Rights Commission has begun its own investigation (called “suo motu proceedings”). The commission said the situation, based on reports from May 6th, is extremely serious and that children’s rights to learn, be well, and live with respect are being broken.
Scenes from Nuh schools that triggered alarm
At Government Primary School, Kubda Bas in Ferozepur Jhirka, the school is actually in a cattle shed. Twenty-nine boys and thirty-three girls, from kindergarten through 3rd grade, are taught there. After school, cows and buffalo are tied up on the property and their food is stored there, which makes a lasting bad smell.
In Kalu Bas village, the lessons are happening in an open field. About ninety-five children (forty-five boys and fifty girls) have their blackboards tied to trees to use. When the rainy season comes, the ground gets muddy. And in the winter, it’s very, very cold, making it unsafe and difficult for the young kids to get an education.
The commission was told that Kubda Bas school isn’t the only one of at least nineteen in the Nuh district without a building of its own. They are all using someone’s land and have only been allowed to do so for a short time. This means kids are always having to sacrifice their safety, cleanliness, and how much attention they can give to their work.
Commission steps in, cites law and global duties
The Haryana Human Rights Commission started its own investigation after learning about these conditions. On May 7th, the commission said these findings are extremely serious and clearly go against the basic rights of children to an education, health, and to be treated with dignity.
The commission emphasized that teaching in a cattle shed or a field goes directly against the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009, which says every village should have a primary school within a kilometer (about half a mile). They also pointed to what India has promised to do under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, specifically Articles 28 and 29.
The commission believes a learning space that is safe and respectful is completely necessary for a child’s physical, emotional, and overall growth. Without it, their future development is at risk and people will lose faith in public (government) schools.
Teacher shortage compounds the crisis
And it’s not just the buildings. There aren’t nearly enough teachers. Because of this, the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam has been hiring temporary teachers from Bahadurgarh, Rewari and Mahendergarh. But reports say many of these teachers don’t come to school very often, and this messes up the teaching.
The commission thinks that, as much as possible, teachers should be hired from the local area or a place nearby. Being close to the school will help them come to work regularly, help them work with the community, and make the learning in the classroom more stable.
Infrastructure promises vs classroom reality
Even though sixty-eight new schools were approved for Nuh district in and as of 2020, many of them still don’t have even the most basic things they need. Also, the land that has been found for the schools is often far from the villages, making it harder for students to get to school and slowing down the whole process of getting the schools open.
Schools using land they’ve only been temporarily allowed to use, or are in buildings that are falling apart, are continuing to put students in places that are dangerous and dirty. This makes it harder to get students to come to school, impacts how well they learn, and makes parents lose faith in the government schools.
What the panel expects next
The commission has asked for detailed reports from the Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretary of the School Education Department, the Deputy Commissioner, and the District Education Officer of Nuh district. They want specific plans with dates for when things will be done, not just general promises.
Dr. Puneet Arora, the Assistant Registrar of the commission, said the authorities must send in these detailed reports at least a week before the next meeting on July tthe 22nd. The commission says this is a failure of the whole system and needs to be fixed right away.
According to the order, the Haryana government must address several points in its response. Key expectations include:
– A time-bound plan for proper school infrastructure
– Compliance with statutory norms across Nuh schools
– The present infrastructure status of the concerned schools
For the students in Kubda Bas and Kalu Bas, waiting for solutions isn’t an option. The dirty conditions and being out in the weather make it hard to focus and stay healthy, and could cause kids to leave school. The commission says following the law is the very first thing that must be done, it isn’t something to hope for.
Parents and teachers are being forced to make impossible decisions when the school is also a place for cows or is just an open field. The commission’s orders are meant to bring back at least the minimum standards, make sure there are enough teachers, and make sure kids are treated with basic respect.
The commission will look at the reports they get on July 22nd. How they respond will likely decide how quickly things improve in Nuh, and will show if the new schools and teacher changes can quickly turn into safe, working classrooms.
