The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has directed the state chief secretary to submit a time-bound action plan to ensure proper infrastructure in government schools of Nuh district, after a government primary school was found violating children’s right to education by functioning from a cattle shed. The HHRC noted that such functioning also violated children’s right to health and right to live with dignity.
Taking suo motu cognisance of a news report that highlighted how a government primary school has been functioning in a cow shed in Nuh district and how students are studying in an unsafe room, the HHRC stated that the conditions described in the reports are grave.
The full bench of the HHRC comprising chairperson justice Lalit Batra (retd) and members Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia, has stated in its May 7 order that several government primary schools in Ferozepur Jhirka area of Nuh district are functioning without proper buildings.
As per the HHRC order, the government primary school of Kubda Bas village is reportedly operating from a cattle shed where about 29 boys and 33 girls from Balvatika to Class 3 are studying.
After school hours, cows and buffaloes are tied in the same premises and cattle fodder is also stored there. Though the premises are cleaned, foul smell persists, adversely affecting the health and learning environment of the children.
The order says that similarly, the government primary school of Kalu Bas village is functioning in an open field where about 45 boys and 50 girls are being taught in front of blackboards tied to trees. The commission observed that such conditions amount to a serious compromise with the safety and dignity of children.
The HHRC observed that forcing children to study in cattle sheds, open fields or dilapidated structures is not only a violation of children’s human rights but also a direct contravention of the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
“The circumstances reflect a serious violation of basic human rights of children, including their right to live with dignity, right to health and right to education…forcing children to study in environments exposed to animal waste, extreme weather and unsafe structures amounts to institutional neglect…affecting children belonging to marginalised and rural communities,” reads the HHRC order.
The commission has stated that provision of safe, hygienic and adequate educational infrastructure is not merely an administrative responsibility but a fundamental obligation of the state.
“Ensuring that children receive education in a secure and conducive environment is essential for their physical safety, mental well-being and overall development. The present matter raises grave concerns regarding systemic failure in safeguarding the basic rights of children in Nuh district, which warrants immediate attention and remedial action,” the order says.
The HHRC has directed Haryana chief secretary to submit a report outlining policy-level decisions, allocation of funds, inter-departmental coordination and a clear time-bound action plan for ensuring proper school infrastructure and compliance with statutory norms in Nuh.
The principal secretary (school education) will submit a detailed departmental report indicating present status of infrastructure in the concerned schools, while deputy commissioner of Nuh has been directed to submit factual ground-level reports indicating actual functional condition of the schools based on physical inspection.
