In at least 19 government primary schools in Haryana’s Nuh district near Gurugram, children are studying in severely inadequate conditions where classrooms double as cattle sheds or learning spaces are makeshift structures like open fields and village chaupals. Basic facilities such as toilets, clean drinking water, electricity and proper classrooms are missing in many schools, affecting hundreds of students daily.
Teachers report extreme hardship, including managing multiple classes in single unsafe rooms and dealing with overcrowding. While land for school buildings has reportedly been identified in several cases, construction delays and administrative bottlenecks continue to stall improvements, raising serious concerns over the state of rural education infrastructure in one of India’s fastest-growing regions.
Learning Amid Cattle Sheds And Open Fields
In villages across the Ferozepur Jhirka block of Nuh district, schools are operating in conditions that highlight the stark gap between India’s urban development and rural reality. According to recent reporting, at least 19 government primary schools lack dedicated buildings, forcing children to study in cattle sheds, open fields and community spaces. In some locations, classrooms are converted into cowsheds after school hours, with livestock occupying the same space once students leave.
Teachers and local residents say that basic facilities such as toilets and drinking water are absent in many of these schools, making daily attendance difficult, especially for younger children and girls. In some schools, one teacher is responsible for over 50 to 300 students across multiple grades, conducting classes simultaneously in unsafe and overcrowded conditions. Despite these challenges, parents continue to send their children to school, often because they cannot afford private education alternatives.
No Toilets, No Water, No Space
Ground reports highlight a consistent lack of essential infrastructure. Several schools reportedly function without boundary walls, proper sanitation or drinking water facilities. In some cases, children are forced to sit on the floor in shared spaces like village chaupals, while outsiders continue to use the same area for community activities, disrupting lessons.
Teachers have expressed frustration over the situation, noting that the absence of toilets disproportionately affects girls’ attendance and dignity. Midday meal preparation is also impacted in many schools due to the lack of kitchens or storage facilities. In one instance reported earlier, schools with sanctioned posts remain severely understaffed, with long travel distances contributing to teacher shortages and resignations.
Officials have acknowledged that land has been identified for several school buildings. However, delays in approvals, inter-departmental coordination issues and local administrative bottlenecks have stalled construction work for years. As a result, temporary arrangements have become long-term solutions, leaving both students and teachers in limbo.
Decades of Infrastructure Gaps
The crisis in Nuh is not new. Similar concerns about missing toilets, unsafe classrooms and poor maintenance in government schools in the Gurugram region have been reported for years. A 2019 assessment of government schools in the district also highlighted broken infrastructure, unsafe buildings and missing basic amenities despite significant public education funding allocations.
Even today, officials say that while funds are sanctioned for education and development projects, execution on the ground remains uneven. In some cases, schools sanctioned years ago have yet to receive functional buildings. Land disputes, delayed construction approvals and lack of coordination between panchayats and education departments continue to slow progress.
The gap between Gurugram’s rapid urbanisation and the conditions in its neighbouring rural belts like Nuh has become increasingly visible, with children in these villages studying in environments that fall far short of constitutional guarantees for free and safe education.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This situation is not just about missing infrastructure; it is about unequal childhoods. When children study in cattle sheds without toilets or drinking water, it reflects a failure of planning, prioritisation and empathy in public policy. Education cannot be meaningful if it is stripped of dignity and safety.
Authorities must move beyond temporary fixes and take urgent, transparent action to ensure functional school buildings, sanitation facilities and adequate staffing in every village school. Civil society and local governance bodies must also work together to ensure accountability and faster implementation of already sanctioned projects. As India continues to advance as a global economy, can we justify a system where a child’s access to a classroom depends on where they are born?
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Volunteers/ CSR may please contribute towards a rented building for these schools under #Vidyanjali-the school volunteer initiative!
— A Srija IES (@SrijaSuresh) May 6, 2026
Classes in field, cowshed, chaupal: When schools don’t have a building | Gurgaon News – The Times of India https://t.co/aVy2TPzbWT
