Rajasthan High Court Orders Ban on 86,000 Unsafe Classrooms in Govt Schools

Quick Summary

• The rajasthan High Court has ordered the closure of over 86,000 dilapidated classrooms in government schools across the state.
• The judgment follows a government survey conducted after the roof collapse of a school in Jhalawar in july, which resulted in seven student deaths and injuries to eight others.
• Rajasthan has 63,018 government schools with 5,26,162 classrooms; among them:

– 86,934 classrooms categorized as unsafe or dilapidated.
– 5,667 schools entirely deemed unsafe for use.
– In terms of toilets: 17,109 where marked dilapidated and 29,093 repairable.

• The court emphasized choice arrangements to ensure uninterrupted education for students affected by the order.
• A technical verification report from engineers is expected by September 4 to confirm findings from preliminary surveys conducted post-tragedy.
• Another incident involving infrastructure failure occurred days later when a school gate collapsed in Jaisalmer, killing one student and injuring two others.

Image Used for Representation | Photo Credit: Reuters

Indian opinion Analysis

the decision by the Rajasthan High Court highlights critical gaps in infrastructure safety within government schools across India’s largest state by area. With over 16% of classrooms found unsuitable for use based on survey data post-tragic incidents like Jhalawar’s roof collapse and Jaisalmer’s gate failure earlier this year-this raises alarming questions about systemic negligence regarding maintenance standards.

Directing classroom closures reflects an intent to prioritize student safety but demands proactive follow-up measures from stakeholders at all levels. While alternative arrangements have been mandated by the court to prevent disruption of education-the execution challenges remain ample given resource-constrained public systems serving millions within rural belts.

Ensuring formal technical validation before restoring unfit structures marks cautious progress respecting urgency-a template applicable nationwide aligning accountability towards lasting reforms involving long-term safety assurances funding models.

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