NEW DELHI: The Punjab government has received a notification from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in response to a media report that claims pupils in the state’s Kaluwara hamlet lack access to adequate educational resources. The students, particularly the girls, in Kaluwara village first walk on foot along the slushy banks of the river Sutlej, then board a “berhi” (wooden boat) and cross the river to walk for an additional four kilometres along the border with Pakistan before reaching the Government Senior Secondary School in the Gatti Rajoke area of the Ferozpur district, according to the NHRC, which took suo motu notice of the media report.
“The media report further claimed that Kaluwara is encircled by water on four sides, three of which are rivers. The river floods homes and fields during heavy rain, forcing inhabitants to spend days on rooftops. The town has just one primary school and 50 families. The majority of girls in primary education leave after Class 5, according to the NHRC statement.
The Commission has also requested a report from the Punjab government, asking it to outline any actions that have been done or are being considered to improve access for pupils in the region, whether by constructing a new school close by or by improving commuting options. In order to attain the essential significance of an individual’s life, the statement continued, “The Commission has noticed that it becomes imperative that the state government makes it possible for every child to obtain access to the education system, without much obstacle or difficulty.”
