In poor shape, Balachaur school sees turnaround in just 26 days

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 22

It took just 26 days and a few good men to transform a “failing” Government Primary and Middle School at Sajawalpur near Balachaur into a much sought-after smart school, with nearly three-fold growth in the number of admissions this session.

The school had just 25 students on rolls in the last session. Following the renovation, the number has shot up to 72. “About 40 of the new students have come from private schools in the region. The school now tops the list of government schools in Nawanshahr district that have achieved record new admissions,” said Parmanand Brahmpuri, the head teacher of the school.

He said, “We painted the school with such vibrant colours that it is called a ‘Rainbow smart school’ now.” Brahmpuri said it all started when the village sarpanch, Manmohan Singh Khela, and his Australia-based son Baljit Singh Khela announced a donation of Rs 5.65 lakh for the renovation of the school. My colleague Balwant Rai and I pooled in Rs 11 lakh and a few others also contributed for the renovation of the school.” The school teachers not just transformed the school from a dilapidated building to a modern one but also put the expenditure statement on Facebook for an open audit. They spent about Rs 21 lakh on the project.

While the old and new pictures of the school tell the story of its metamorphosis, the task not easy. “The plinth level of the school was low due to which rain water accumulated during the monsoon season. It was a task to drain out water and hold classes in that season,” said teacher Balwant Rai.

As part of the renovation work, a new sewerage has been installed while the plinth level has been raised. Three new water tanks have been installed and bio-urinals have been introduced. A garden has been developed on the dusty ground and CCTV cameras have been installed. The school has also employed security guards.