140-year-old govt school goes missing; Teachers conduct classes on road

140-year-old Centennial Higher Secondary School and College is a government-aided school in the city of Lucknow. Students and teachers returned from their summer vacations on July 1, 2022, and in place of their school, they found the board of a private school instead.

With the reopening of schools across the post-summer vacation, students from this Lucknow School found out that their school has gone missing. The Centennial Higher Secondary School and College Lucknow had been replaced without any prior notice. The situation of this missing school forced students and teachers conduct classes on the road outside the school.

Students, teachers forced to conduct classes on road

140-year-old Centennial Higher Secondary School and College is a government-aided school in the city of Lucknow. Students and teachers returned from their summer vacations on July 1, 2022, and in place of their school, they found the board of a private school instead.

The school that replaced the 140-year-old government-aided school is named as Methodist Church School. All hoardings of the school had also been changed. Students and teachers were denied entry to the campus, which led them to conduct classes on the road. Around 10 teachers and 360 students from Classes 6 to 12 are enrolled in the school. The day of the incident, teachers conducted the Mathematics and English classes outside on the road.

Teachers and students also claimed that many of the schools’ belongings and furniture were found outside the main gate of the school. “When we reached the school, the name had been changed and we were denied entry. The furniture had been moved out and we were told that the school had been shifted to the "playground under the tin shade,” the principal told reporters.

The school’s principal Rajiv David Dayal immediately lodged a complaint with the Basic Education Officer Vijay Pratap Singh and Rakesh Kumar, the district inspector of schools. Officials later reported to the scene for inspection.

The state education minister, Gulab Devi has also been informed about the issue after a delegation of Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh recently met with her to convey the problems faced by the students. The issue was also talked over social media by Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav.

As of today, July 8, 2022 Friday, Lucknow DM Suryapal Gangwar informed that the classes at Centennial Higher Secondary School and College are being conducted on the campus as before and ensure law, order and safety, a police force has been placed outside the school.

As per reports, District Inspector of Schools, Rakesh Kumar Pandey stated that the new school had taken affiliation from the basic education department, which would now be looked into once again. Pandey further added that a private school cannot run on the land allotted to a government school.

Read More:

• NIT Goa to invite students from local engineering colleges for internship