After weeks of protest, the Gujarat government has approved an independent school for Bharatnagar Pul Patiya in Bhuj taluka, Kutch. The move follows parents withdrawing all 134 children from the village’s Peta Varg (sub-school) in protest against poor facilities.
For years, students were taught in a tin-shed community hall without basic infrastructure, despite having nearly double the enrolment of the main school in Ambedkarnagar, located 2 km away. Villagers had repeatedly petitioned for a dedicated school building with full staff, but without success.
On August 8, the Directorate of Primary Education, in a letter to the District Primary Education Officer (DPEO) stated: “The District Primary Education Officer Authority, Bhuj-Kutch, had submitted a proposal for approval to turn a sub-school into an independent school at Bharatnagar, Bhuj. In this regard, an earlier proposal for the same had not been approved… the students used to sit in the lobby of a madrasa. The district Education Department informed us that the parents of the students were taking LCs owing to the absence of an independent school.”
The letter said: “As per the details of the above report, the distance of the said sub-division (sub-school) from the main school is approximately 2 km and at present, land has been allotted by the village leaders for the accommodation of the students, which, after taking into account the affidavit, the District Primary Education Officer will have to ensure that the school has all the necessary facilities. The sub-division (sub-school) is approved as an independent school.”
The students had been studying in a decrepit tin-shed community hall, lacking basic infrastructure.
The letter is signed by BD Bariya, the Deputy Director of Primary Education for Gujarat.
According to sources on August 8 reported how all 134 students had taken LCs.
Earlier, Sikandar Alana Sumra, an activist and community organiser who has been at the forefront of the movement to seek an independent school for the village children, had also offered his own family property to function as a temporary school till the time infrastructure is built by the Education Department in Kutch.
District Primary Education Officer (DPEO), Kutch district, Bhupendrasinh Vaghela told the Indian Express: “We have received the approval for an independent school in Bharatnagar. We had received letters from them (the parents) last year, seeking a new school but they submitted the application late. The parents had raised the same demand this year also but the Directorate asked us to continue it as a sub-school. However, after the villagers started withdrawing their children… the head office approved an independent school.”
When asked about the steps ahead, Vaghela added: “The parents had told us that if they get an independent school, they would enrol their children in it. Now that we have the approval, we will begin the admission process from Monday.”
Sharing details about the construction of the new building, the DPEO said: “We have asked the district administration to take up the matter. After a new school is approved, we need to obtain land from the village, and construct a school there. All these processes are currently underway.”