Gandhinagar, Mar 25 (IANS): Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama in a reply to the Khambhaliya legislator in the state Assembly said that there are a total of 10,502 schools having 35,529 classrooms with tin-shade roofs which are in a bad shape.

According to the minister's reply, the oldest classrooms are in Vadodara district where a total of 2,372 classrooms of 693 schools are equipped with tin-shade which are in a bad shape from last 370 years while in Kheda, a total of 4,002 classrooms of 1,027 schools are having tin-shade from last 364 years and in Surat a total of 1,934 classrooms in 605 schools are in a dilapidated condition from last 255 years.

Similarly, schools with tin-shades are also in Anand from 175 years, Ahmedabad (120 years), Bharuch (158 years), Chhota Udepur (193 years), Dahod (140 years), Gandhinagar (123 years), Kutch (102), Mehsana (250), Patan (123) Surat (255), and Banaskantha (96) years among others, where the conditions are rickety.

Surprisingly, 5-10-year-old schools in Devbhumi Dwarka in 31 schools having 44 classrooms are also functioning with shed structures.

The education department in its reply said that there are a total of 10,698 classrooms in 3,353 schools in the state which are in a bad state for last around one or two years.

Dahod district had the highest dilapidated classrooms and number of schools having 1,111 classrooms in 346 schools while Vadodara corporation has the lowest number of such classrooms, a total of 44 classrooms in just five schools.