Chandigarh: In a strong rebuke to the Punjab govt for shortage of teaching staff in state-run schools, the Punjab and Haryana high court has observed that apparently “the education of young children is not priority of the state and the schools completely lack the basic infrastructure, class rooms, toilets and no qualified teachers/head teacher have been provided.”In its detailed orders, Justice N S Shekhawat also directed the state govt to furnish details of requisite classrooms, regular staff posted in schools details of separate toilets for girls and boys, govt’s efforts to enrol more students in state-run schools, availability of sweepers to clean schools and installation of napkin vending machines in primary schools for girl students.

Justice Shekhawat passed the orders while taking suo motu cognisance of a shortage of facilities in the schools in Punjab. During the hearing of some cases, the judge had noticed that some schools in Punjab are being run only with one teacher. The court had also noted that in a school, for six classes, only four classrooms were provided. In some schools there were only two toilets for the students, teachers and staff.

After passing these orders, Justice Shekhawat has also referred the matter before the Chief Justice with request to treat the present order as a public interest litigation.