Classes held under tents at overcrowded school in Jammu and Kashmir

The lack of infrastructure and a dilapidated school building has not only affected students' studies, but it has also put the lives of almost 650 children at risk in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri region.

The Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Rajouri district's Thanna Mandi village has just four rooms to accommodate the 650 students. At times the classes are shifted to make-shift tents, which do not stand torrid weather conditions.

"In this school poor children from far off villages come to study. To study in tents is still fine in summers but when it rains we cannot study all. Similarly in winters it gets very chilly and we won't be able to study, our time gets wasted and hence its gets almost impossible to complete our syllabus," said a student, Shabnam Kouser, on Saturday.

Even the teachers complained against the unfavourable conditions at the school.

"We have lot of problems here in this school but the worst is the accommodation problem. The building is not built properly. Ever since the school has been upgraded, no work has been done to accommodate the students. We have more students and fewer rooms," said a teacher, Zafar Ameen.

In order to build capacity in secondary schools on par with expanded primary enrolments, several schemes like the Mid-Day Meal scheme, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, Model School Scheme and Saakshar Bharat/Adult Education have also been implemented in the country.