Punjab: Despite modern facilities, only 4 students and one teacher in village school

Punjab: This government middle school in Dhingarpur village has everything required for an ideal school, including infrastructure. Despite this, the number of students in the school is very low. The school has just four students and one teacher. There are three rooms, including a smart room with a projector for classes VI, VII and VIII. The school also has a large playground and a computer lab with five computers. Mid-day meals are also served here daily. Despite having every facility, the number of students is negligible. There are two students in Class VI, two in Class VIII and none in Class VII. The four are girls – Dishmeet Kaur (Class VI), Ramandeep Kaur (Class VI), Gurjot Kaur (Class VIII), Harmanpreet Kaur (Class VIII). Gurjot Kaur, a class VIII student, has been studying in the school since Class VI. “There is only one classmate here. Earlier, it felt a bit strange to live in a big building with a few students, but now it is becoming normal,” she told the Tribune. It is noteworthy that a few years ago, GMS Dhingarpur had 40 students and adequate staff, but with time the number of students kept decreasing due to transfer of teachers. Now, with only one teacher left, parents are reluctant to send their children to this school. Ramanpreet Kaur, the in-charge of the school, is an English teacher in the school, but she has been teaching other subjects as well. She said, “When I joined as the only teacher after maternity leave, there was only one student and now there are four. I want to increase the number of students as the department has provided everything here. If I ask for any grant, I get that too. Only staff is needed so that parents can be assured that their children will be able to study properly here.” She said that she manages the timetable well. “Even though I am teaching every subject to these students, their studies do not get affected,” the dedicated teacher told The Tribune. He said, “This session two new girls have joined in class six and one of them is a very good artist. She draws so well that I am amazed at it and I will ensure that her talent is recognised at every level.”