India’s students demand better schools

NEW DELHI: A growing campaign over the poor condition of government schools in India is putting pressure on authorities to improve basic education facilities, particularly in rural areas.

The campaign, known as #FixTheSchool, has been launched by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an online satirical movement that previously attracted national attention through protests over India’s medical entrance examination system.

The group is now focusing on deteriorating school buildings, inadequate sanitation, a shortage of teachers and the lack of basic facilities for students.

In Faridabad, on the outskirts of Delhi, the condition of a government primary school for girls highlights many of the problems facing rural education. Although the building has recently been painted, parts of its interior remain unsafe.

Several classrooms have been abandoned because of damaged ceilings and falling plaster. Some toilets are unusable and filled with waste. During heavy rain, classrooms can also become flooded, leaving students without adequate space to study.

Local social worker Satpal Narwat said the school may appear improved from the outside, but its internal condition remains serious. He said the problems have continued for years despite repeated appeals to authorities.

The situation is not limited to one school. Many government institutions in rural parts of India struggle with inadequate infrastructure, limited funding and shortages of teaching staff.

According to official figures cited in the report, around 94,000 government schools closed between 2014-15 and 2024-25. Some were merged as part of efforts to reorganise the education system, while declining enrolment and the growing popularity of private schools have also contributed to the reduction.

India currently spends around 4.1% of its gross domestic product on education. The country’s National Education Policy has identified 6% of GDP as an ideal target for education spending.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said his group had visited more than 20 rural schools and found widespread problems. He said many schools lacked proper classrooms, benches, functioning bathrooms and clean drinking water.

The campaign is using social media to draw attention to these conditions. Students and activists have posted videos showing damaged buildings, leaking roofs, poor sanitation and children studying without adequate furniture.

Some of the videos have prompted local authorities to take action. In Maharashtra, a video showing schoolgirls complaining about the poor road leading to their school reportedly led authorities to repair the road.

In Uttar Pradesh, students have also taken their complaints directly to officials. Videos showed pupils demanding better access to their schools and questioning authorities over the condition of their educational facilities.

The movement has gained momentum following earlier protests by the CJP in Delhi. Those demonstrations initially focused on controversy surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), but gradually expanded into wider criticism of India’s education system.

Journalist and author Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay said the movement had evolved beyond the issue of one examination or one minister. He said growing public participation in the school campaign indicated that concerns about education infrastructure were widespread.

Teachers say infrastructure is only part of the problem. A major challenge is the shortage of teaching staff and the deployment of teachers for duties unrelated to education.

Chatar Singh, a primary teachers’ association official and head teacher in Faridabad, said government teachers are frequently assigned election-related work, census duties and other administrative responsibilities.

At his school, which has around 910 students, only six teachers were available on the day of a recent visit. Many others had been assigned to voter-list revision, while some were absent because of illness.

Singh said such assignments affect classroom teaching and reduce the amount of time teachers can spend with students.

He also argued that government schools receive less attention because many influential families choose private education for their children. As a result, rural government schools are largely attended by children from low-income and disadvantaged communities.

The contrast is particularly visible in Khedi Kalan village, where Narwat studied at a government school decades ago. He recalled that the school was once in good condition and served both boys and girls.

Today, one of the village schools has several unusable classrooms, while another operates partly from a veranda after an unsafe building was demolished several years ago. The replacement building has yet to be constructed.

Narwat said he had repeatedly approached government officials and political representatives for improvements but saw little progress. He eventually moved his own children to a private school because of better facilities.

The #FixTheSchool campaign has given him renewed hope that public pressure could force authorities to address the problems.

Activists say their demands are straightforward: safe classrooms, functioning toilets, clean drinking water, adequate furniture, sufficient teachers and modern learning facilities.

The campaign is increasingly being driven by students themselves, who are using smartphones and social media to document conditions in their schools.