2 UT govt schools fall short of CBSE infra norms

Chandigarh: Even as the UT administration moved to grant provisional approval to 12 of 78 unrecognised private schools, at least two govt schools — Government Model High School Khuda Jasu and Government High School Dadumajra — are operating from cramped campuses without playgrounds and, in one case, alongside non-school facilities such as a Sampark Centre and an anganwadi, raising questions over compliance with Central Board of Secondary Education infrastructure and safety norms.Both schools run in double shifts, increasing the strain on already limited infrastructure.At Khuda Jasu, the school is spread over just 0.94 acres and caters to around 550 students in the morning and 430 in the evening. The campus is not exclusively used for schooling; a Sampark Centre and an anganwadi centre operate from within the same premises. This shared use reduces already scarce open space and raises concerns about controlled access and student safety during school hours.Staff said the school has around 33 teachers and 19 cramped classrooms. Seating arrangements indicate crowding, with about 17 benches per room and three students often made to sit on each bench. The school has also been without a headmaster since Nov 2025.There is no playground within the campus. A small patch behind the school, near a choe, is being used for games like volleyball and kho-kho, but it lies outside the defined premises and does not meet CBSE requirements.At Dadumajra, the school functions from within congested residential lanes and caters to around 800 students in two shifts with about 35 teachers. It also does not have a playground. A land certificate document from the UT chief architect's office records for this school that land details are "not available in the record of this office".Residents say the school has faced persistent issues, including waterlogging during rains. A nearby shopkeeper, who has lived there for over 20 years, said flooding in the premises has been a recurring problem.Under CBSE affiliation bylaws, a school is required to operate on a single, clearly defined and exclusively used campus, with infrastructure meant only for educational purposes. The norms require that the land be a contiguous unit under the control of the school and that facilities like classrooms, playgrounds and activity areas be adequate and proportionate to student strength.While CBSE does not explicitly name anganwadis or service centres, the requirement of a dedicated school campus with controlled access means that the presence of unrelated public service facilities within the same premises raises compliance and safety concerns, particularly in schools handling large student numbers in double shifts.The bylaws also make a playground within the campus mandatory and require minimum classroom size and per-student space. In both Khuda Jasu and Dadumajra, the absence of a functional playground and the limited land availability stand out against these requirements.The developments highlight a contrast at a time when the administration is pushing private schools towards compliance. While 12 institutions have been granted provisional approval out of 78 identified unrecognised schools, infrastructure gaps remain within parts of the govt school system itself.Officials have not indicated whether any relocation, expansion or restructuring is being considered. For now, both schools continue to function in conditions that raise questions on alignment with CBSE's norms on space, exclusivity of premises and student safety.BOX- What CBSE norms sayCAMPUS USE & SAFETYSchool must be on a single, contiguous plotCampus to be under school control and used for educational purposesControlled access to ensure student safetyInfrastructure must not be compromised by shared, unrelated activitiesCLASSROOMSMinimum size: 8 m × 6 m (~500 sq ft)At least 1 sq metre per studentAround 40 students per section capPLAYGROUNDMandatory within school premisesMust be adequate for all studentsNo external/open patches acceptable