Gurgaon: As relentless rain lashed the city from early Thursday morning, several private schools in the city swiftly shifted to hybrid or online classes, sending early-morning messages to parents to ensure student safety.The private schools included DPS Sector 45, Rao Pahlad Singh (RPS) International School in Sector 50, Lotus Valley and St Xavier’s.The move came amid the city police having urged corporate offices to allow employees to work from home to ease severe traffic congestion, followed by a district administration advisory asking offices and private institutions to permit remote work “wherever feasible” on Aug 6 and 7.However, no such instructions were issued for govt schools, forcing students and teachers to brave flooded roads and unsafe conditions, triggering anger among educators — exposing stark inequalities in the education system.A district administration official confirmed that no holidays have been declared for Friday either, extending concerns among staff and parents. “I don’t know why they didn’t issue an advisory for govt schools. You have to ask the district commissioner — are govt school staff and students made of stone? Are they made of steel? Or have they been given helicopters to reach school?” said Dushyant Thakran, a govt school teacher, highlighting the disconnect.Several govt schools, including Govt Model Sanskriti Primary School (GMSPS) Sikanderpur Badha, Govt Model Sanskriti Primary School Panchawali and a govt school in Kadipur, reported severe waterlogging, with knee-deep water in and around campuses.Teachers said attendance dropped to nearly 30%-40% as many children, who walk 1 to 2 kilometres daily, struggled to reach school without transport support.“Private schools have buses, but our children walk. Even a short distance becomes dangerous in such heavy rain. This is a direct threat to their safety,” said Saroj Yadav, another teacher.Staff attendance was also hit, with nearly 40% of teachers unable to reach some schools. Those who made it faced prolonged power outages, worsening already hazardous conditions.“Most of the time there was no electricity. Classrooms were completely dark and we had to shift children into corridors just so they could sit in some light,” Yadav added.Principal of Dharav High School, Gurgaon, told TOI, “Rains cause havoc in the city, especially due to waterlogging and traffic caused thereafter. We had announced a hybrid mode for our students. Despite that, we had 80% attendance in school. If the schools build an excitement in teaching and learning, children don’t like to miss a single day. We don’t have control over rain but what we can really invest in is the infrastructure and facilities to smoothen the movement on the road.”Teachers, requesting anonymity, raised serious safety concerns over exposed infrastructure amid flooding. “There was no electricity for hours and water was everywhere. We already have loose and exposed wires in some parts of the school. If a live wire comes in contact with water, it can be fatal. Children will not even be able to see it in muddy water,” said one teacher.Another added, “We are constantly worried. What if a child steps on a submerged live wire? With waterlogging and no visibility, even a small mistake can turn into a tragedy. There are no emergency safety checks in such conditions.”Teachers said principals cannot independently declare holidays or switch to online classes without official orders. “This is a major limitation. Until directions come from the district or directorate, we cannot act, even in emergencies,” Yadav said.Recalling last year’s similar situation, she added that timely intervention by authorities then allowed online classes, avoiding chaos. “We expected the same this time, but nothing came. Why must only govt school children suffer?” she questioned.The episode, teachers say, highlights a widening gap in crisis response, where govt school students continue to bear the brunt of administrative silence, raising serious concerns over their safety, dignity and right to equitable education.
