NAROWAL: Parents of Government Girls Primary School students are hesitant to send their children to school due to the dilapidated condition of the building.

The two-kanal school in Talwara Malihan village has only three classrooms for boys and girls. A month ago, the roof of one of the classrooms caved in while students were leaving school after the day ended. There was no loss of life but furniture in the classroom was damaged.

Following the incident, students wereunwilling to go to school and their parents also refused to send them. Roofs of two other classrooms are also on their last legs and pose a threat to students. Instead of repairing the building, the school administration got it white-washed and resumed classes.

Due to lack of any other government or private school in the village, students are forced to risk their lives to study in this lone school in the village. The students and their parents are of the view that the roofs of two other classrooms could cave in any time.

Some parents said: `There is only one school in our village, and due to ricketyroofs of classrooms, our children are forced to leave the school.

The village numberdar, Chaudhry Muhammad Ghazanfar Malhi, said: `A year ago, we applied to the education department, the then district coordination officer, and now Interior Minister Ashan Iqbal for demolition of the dilapidated building and construction of a new one, but nobody took notice of it.

Even security arrangements at the school are dismal -the boundary wall is only five feet high and there is no barbed wire layered on it. Clean drinking water is not available for students; there was a hand pump, but was stolen.On Monday, students raised slogans against the education department and the district administration over non-availability of basic facilities.

District Education Authority Chief Executive Officer Shehzad Ahmad Awan told Dawn: `I have visited the school. The roofs are very dangerous and we have written to the authorities concerned for their repair. It is hoped that the construction work will start soon.

Students and their partners have demanded Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif order construction of a new building so that children could receive quality education in a safe building.