TOBA TEK SINGH: The parents of the children studying at a government primary school at Gojra on Monday staged a demonstration outside the school, demanding early reconstruction of the institute’s building as the students had to take classes under tents in the hot and humid weather.

The protesting parents who had gathered outside the school located in Sharifpura locality on Moongi Road told the reporters that its old building had become dilapidated and the school education department had decided to dismantle it for reconstruction.

For demolition of the old building and construction of new one, they said, a contractor was engaged.

The contractor, during the summer vacation, razed the old building, sold out its debris and disappeared, the parents deplored.

When the summer vacation ended, the teaching staff and the students were shocked to find that there was no school building for them to resume academic activities.

As a makeshift arrangement, tents were arranged by the school administration to resume the classes.

The parents regretted that in the ongoing hot and muggy weather the children were forced to take classes in the tents because of negligence of the department officials who failed to ensure the reconstruction of the school building during summer vacation.

They said that because of non-availability of the building, the studies of their children were getting adversely affected.

The school in charge claimed that the department had been informed of the situation and the authorities concerned would soon make alternate arrangements to start reconstruction of the building.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2018