Operation Kayakalp, Uttar Pradesh’s ambitious school infrastructure upgrade program, has left dozens of primary schools in Agra district functioning in dilapidated or open-air conditions. Three years after a lintel beam collapsed at Purva Madhyamik Vidyalaya – Madhi, in Shamshabad block, classes are still held under a tree. The school, declared unsafe in 2022, houses 83 children who have not benefited from the Kayakalp initiative, launched in 2018.
‘Jarjar’ Schools Face Closure Threats
Numerous government primary schools with unsafe buildings operate from temporary, inadequate spaces. Prathmik Vidyalaya Mohammadpur in Kheragarh shares its village panchayat office. Prathmik Vidyalaya Faziatpura uses a dharamshala, a resting place for pilgrims. These ‘jarjar’ (dilapidated) schools are now vulnerable to mergers under the CM Composite School scheme, which consolidates smaller schools into larger K-12 institutions.
Teachers report that years of neglect led to declining student numbers, with many families opting for private schools. Mergers, effectively closures for many, push the remaining students, often from low-income families, towards private education or out of school entirely.
Operation Kayakalp’s Unmet Standards
Operation Kayakalp aimed to upgrade school infrastructure against 19 standards, including safety, sanitation, and electricity. However, rural schools often meet only one or two of these benchmarks. Teachers express fear of reprisal for speaking out against administrative shortcomings.
At Prathmik Vidyalaya Mohammadpur, classes moved to the panchayat office mid-2024 after its building became unfit. The 72 students of Faziatpura school attend classes in two dharamshala rooms since a wall collapsed a year ago.
Unsafe Buildings and Classroom Shortages
Students across Agra district study in open spaces, verandahs, and temporary structures due to unsafe school buildings. Appeals for new constructions have gone unanswered. One teacher noted the danger of snakes in an open teaching area.
Norms dictate four classrooms, an office, a verandah, and a kitchen for primary schools. Many schools lack even one usable room. This shortage forces teachers to combine multiple grades into single spaces, with younger students sometimes relegated to verandahs.
Distance and Travel Challenges
Relocating schools creates travel issues, particularly for young children. The Faziatpura school’s temporary location is 500 meters from the village. Harsh weather makes the journey difficult for students.
The lack of clear timelines for reconstruction adds to teacher workload. Assurances are given, but no completion dates are provided, leaving both staff and students uncertain.
Shift to Private Schools
Inadequate infrastructure drives school relocation and eventual closure. Temporary or distant spaces lead to reduced enrollment. Teachers believe functional buildings increase attendance and student convenience.
The Right to Education Act’s 25% freeship quota in private schools eases the transition for some families. However, declining enrollment places pressure on teachers, with some facing salary deductions.
Mergers and Their Impact
Data from 2019-20 shows 31 schools in Kheragarh closed under the composite school policy, resulting in approximately 100 lost teaching posts. Teachers argue this policy disproportionately affects low-income children.
A primary school in Khandoli block, after a wall collapse in 2013, operated in a vacant plot and later a panchayat room. Enrollment dropped from 40-50 students to 30-35 as many moved to private schools. Last year, this school was merged with a middle school 1.5 kilometers away, a move largely on paper, as primary classes continue in the panchayat room.
The distance of the merged school deters parents of young children, leading them to enroll wards in nearby private institutions.
Uneven Upgrades and Insufficient Funding
While some gram panchayats claimed all 19 Operation Kayakalp targets were met in 2020, teachers dispute this. Basic amenities like functional toilets and water supply remain inconsistent.
Schools with under 100 students receive only Rs 25,000 annually under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. This amount is insufficient for maintenance, cleaning, or repairs.
Despite initial large-scale spending, interest in maintenance has waned. Schools question how to maintain infrastructure worth lakhs with such a small annual grant.
In Lucknow, a head teacher reported a collapsed boundary wall that was rebuilt using personal resources. A disabled toilet, built only to meet parameters, requires private expenditure for minor repairs to be usable.
Many schools still lack kitchens, functional toilets, and playgrounds, with some parameters existing only on paper. Deteriorating groundwater has left four-five schools in an Agra district Nyay Panchayat without water for over a year, despite repeated appeals.