Noida: In a room barely bigger than a single-car garage, the principal’s desk is pushed near the wall to make space for Class 1 students, who sit on thin mats on the floor. Books are stacked in one corner, like a makeshift library. This cramped space—meant to be just the principal’s office—doubles up as a classroom and also as the school’s only reading room.
This school is not in any back of beyond place but barely 25 km from the national capital. The government primary school in Noida’s Gheja village in the Bisrakh block of Gautam Buddha Nagar district has been struggling with severe shortage of space.
Even though a new school building is ready on the same premises, it remains unused, awaiting a “formal inauguration” since October 2024.
As a result, nearly 300 students, including nine-year-old Lakshmi and ten-year-old Ansh, continue to study in the old, crumbling structure, which has only four rooms — including the principal’s office. None of the classrooms has furniture.
Lakshmi and Ansh often gaze at the new building across the yard—bright, clean, and filled with benches and desks they’ve never had the chance to use. For years, they’ve sat hunched on mats, their backs aching, dreaming of a better learning space.
“I remember when we had benches, but they wore down and never replaced,” says Lakshmi, now in Class 4. “We’ve been sitting on the floor ever since. My back hurts. I was excited about the new building, but we don’t know if we’ll ever sit there.”
According to teachers, the new school building—constructed under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative of the HCL Foundation—is fully complete and equipped with digital smart boards, clean drinking water facility and well-ventilated classrooms.
“The construction was delayed due to the pandemic but the building is now ready,” said a teacher on the condition of anonymity. “We’ve been waiting to move. The last batch graduated without ever stepping inside. If the current Class 5 students pass out without using the new building, it will be heartbreaking.”
The matter has now reached Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s office. On 24 April, social activist and advocate Ashok Agarwal wrote to the CM office, urging immediate intervention to allow classes to begin in the new building without waiting for a ceremonial inauguration. He also submitted a letter to the Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate’s office this week, seeking urgent action.
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‘Anganwadi centre under tent’
When ThePrint visited the school Wednesday, the Class 1 students were seated on mats in the principal’s office. One corner of the room has been turned into a makeshift library by Books for All, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which supports reading initiatives in the school.
“Due to lack of space, we’ve had to set up the library here,” said an NGO official. “Once the new building opens, we’ll finally have a dedicated room of our own.”
Gesturing towards the children seated nearby, she added, “These Class 1 students also sit here — there’s no other room in the school to accommodate them.”
The Anganwadi centre, catering to pre-primary children aged upto six years, at the school operates under a tent in the open field outside, with children bearing the brunt of scorching heat during summers and biting cold during the winters.
“The children coming to the anganwadi centre are young yet they’re forced to sit under a tent in this scorching heat,” said an anganwadi teacher, requesting anonymity. “There simply is no space for us in the current school building. The new building has a dedicated room for the Anganwadi, but we’re not allowed to use it.”
Archana Verma, the principal in-charge of the school, said the new building is expected to be handed over soon. “We are truly grateful to the government and the HCL Foundation for this new facility,” she said. “But government processes do take time. That’s why we’re patiently waiting for this new chapter of our school to begin. We’re hopeful the handover will happen in the coming weeks.”
The HCL Foundation has been collaborating with the school for several years. Also, it has partnered with the Gautam Buddha Nagar district administration to enhance the quality of education in 35 government schools across Noida.
Verma, who took over as principal in December, said she was informed that several rooms of the old school building were demolished to make space for the new construction. “That’s why there’s such a shortage of space now,” she said.
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Confusion over the status
While teachers at the school told ThePrint that the new building is fully equipped and may be inaugurated as early as next week, Gautam Buddha Nagar’s Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Rahul Panwar said final touches are being given.
“The building already has furniture and blackboards. Only a few minor tasks remain which can be completed even after students move in,” said a teacher, requesting anonymity.
However, BSA Rahul Panwar pointed to incomplete electrical work as the reason for the delay. “We have learned that some wiring is still pending, which is why the inauguration hasn’t taken place yet. We are meeting HCL officials also soon to know the status. It’s expected to complete soon,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ashok Agarwal said students are suffering due to bureaucratic delays. “Whether the building is constructed with government funds or through CSR, it is ultimately the responsibility of the education department to ensure that children are not deprived of their basic human and constitutional right to education,” he said. “The continued denial of access to proper classrooms is a clear violation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.”
When contacted, an HCL Foundation spokesperson said that as per the agreement and the defined scope, the Foundation constructed the school building last year. “In fact, we have gone beyond our scope to also provide furniture and other items for the school.”
“It’s surprising and disappointing that we are being pulled into a matter with which we have nothing to do. We hope the school begins operations at the earliest. As a goodwill gesture, HCLF, under its CSR scope, refurbished the otherwise dilapidated school building…We hope the building is put to use as early as possible for the benefit of children and staff,” the spokesperson told ThePrint.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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