NOIDA: The students of a primary school in Sector 45 have been conducting their morning prayers and outdoor activities on a road because construction activities have begun on a ground near the school where they would assemble earlier. However, that is not the only problem students are facing. For over 12 years, the school hasnt had a building of its own. Earlier, classes were held at a government water supply centre in Sector 45 that had two rooms to spare. However, since 2017, this school — which has 211 students in total — has been operating out of four 2BHK flats on three floors of a residential building in Kashiram Colony. With no authorised playground, students earlier used to access a nearby vacant plot.But recently, construction has started on the ground. So, students assemble for morning prayers and other outdoor activities on the road, which is quite busy. During the lunch break, we, teachers, stand at the school gate and on the road to guard students playing on the road and to ensure there are no accidents, said Sanjay Kumar, principal of the school.A class 1 student rued the lack of playground. In other schools, my friends have game classes, and they also hold an annual sports day. But we cant play outside as there is no ground, the child said. The school also lacks enough classrooms — its 211 students are accommodated in eight rooms of nine-ft by 10ft each. The principal claimed the rooms were not big enough to seat more than 15-20 students at a time. At times, one lecture is conducted twice with the students of one class divided into two groups, Kumar said.According to the teachers, this has not only doubled their work but also delayed the completion of the syllabus. The rooms are so small that at times we take out all the benches so that more students can sit on the floor, a teacher said.The smaller rooms — kitchens and balconies — in the flats have now been converted into extra-curricular activities rooms, storerooms, or staff rooms. We dont have enough space for a separate teachers room. In one of the eight rooms, we have put all the benches together to turn it into a library, the principal said. When contacted, BSA Aishwarya Lakshmi told TOI they had already written to the district administration on the matter and have been attempting to shift the school to a proper building with a playground at the earliest.

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