Noida: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convener Saurav Das and his team were allegedly denied entry into three govt schools in Greater Noida on Tuesday while attempting to assess basic facilities and the conditions in which students study.The team visited govt primary schools in Devla, Makoda and Jaitpur, the second visit to Gautam Budh Nagar as part of its ‘school theek karo’ campaign. According to party members, at all the three locations, they were stopped at the gates. In Devla, police personnel were also deployed outside the school, following which the team alleged they had to return.In a video shared on social media, Das is seen questioning teachers about denial of entry. The teachers claim they have been instructed by the district’s Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) not to allow outsiders within the school premises as their presence could disrupt classes.Das questioned why a team seeking to inspect basic amenities was being prevented from entering govt schools. “The objective was to assess classrooms, toilets, cleanliness and other facilities available to students. It’s a general audit for the schools and there was nothing to worry about if everything was already in place,” said Das. CJP members also raised concerns over the condition of roads and sanitation in Devla, asking how children managed their daily commute amid the poor conditions.While a teacher at the school gate at Devla primary school claimed that the basic education officer asked them not to allow outsiders, BSA Rahul Panwar told TOI there was no general restriction on entering govt schools but defended the decision not to allow the CJP team inside the schools in this case.“A crowd of 20 to 25 people cannot be allowed inside as it disrupts the children’s studies. That is why those who arrived at the schools were denied entry,” he said.Last Tuesday, CJP‘s first audit in UP had turned into a confrontation over access. At a govt primary school in Chaukhandi, CJP members found dirty toilets, broken gates and an ageing building. At four other schools the group sought to inspect later in the day, Das alleged teachers kept the gates locked following orders from senior govt officials.The education department had then, too, denied any order to shut schools. Later that day, however, the state cabinet allocated Rs 300 crore for setting up smart classrooms in 14,429 primary schools across the state. Officials said the initiative was intended to bridge the digital divide and make classroom instruction more engaging, interactive and effective for students.
