Government schools continue in rented premises in Hyderabad

For instance, Government Primary School at Bazaar -e - Jumerat in Nampally functions from a rented building since 1975 and the government pays a rent to the property owners.

Hyderabad: Despite huge budgets spent to ensure the poorest of the poor get educational opportunities, many schools in the older parts of the city have failed to get permanent buildings and function from rented premises.

For decades, several schools have been functioning from rented buildings, constructed to serve family accommodations, drawing criticism from social activists and parents.

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Consider the case of Government Primary School, Bazaar-e-Jumerat in Nampally mandal. The school functions from a rented building since 1975 and the government pays a rent to the property owners. “In last 50 years, the government failed to get a building for this primary school. It shows the seriousness of the education department towards providing educational facilities in the old city,” lamented Syed Nabi, an advocate cum social activist.

There are several schools located in Bandlaguda, Charminar, Bahadurpura mandals that are run in the private buildings. The Government Girls High School Kotla Alijah and Government Primary School Irani Galli, both schools since 1995 are functioning from private buildings and the State government is paying a rent of Rs. 25,580 and Rs. 35,052 a month as rent.

“It’s almost 30 years and the authorities have failed to find a space to construct their own building. Imagine students attending classes in crammed rooms without proper ventilation and playgrounds,’ said S Q Masood, a RTI Activist.

There are at least 30 schools functioning from rented buildings in Bahadurpura I and Bahadurpura II mandals while over 12 schools are running from rented buildings in Charminar and Bandlaguda mandal.

“Due to poor facilities such as inadequate washrooms, drinking water facilities and poor ventilation our children don’t want to go to government run schools. Instead they prefer to stay home or want us to enroll in some private school,” complained Zainab unnisa, a housewife whose husband is an auto driver.

The government had even failed to clear pending rents of the buildings and the school headmasters are under pressure to clear the arrears. Several school headmasters complained that the property owners are asking them to vacate the buildings due to non-payment of rents.
The Government High School Chintalguda, Khairatabad has to clear pending areas of Rs. 50.51 lakh and the last time the rent was paid was in September 2022.

“Using the amount paid as building rents the government could have purchased buildings or constructed one after acquiring land. There is no seriousness when it comes to extending educational facilities,” said Majlis Bachao Tehreek spokesperson Amjedullah Khan.