Continuing her surprise inspections to take stock of the situation in MCD schools across Delhi, Education Minister Ms. Atishi visited an MCD school at Lal Kuan in Pul Prahladpur on Friday.
During the inspection, the school was found to be in an extremely dilapidated state and surrounded by heaps of garbage. There were no benches in the classrooms, and students were forced to sit on broken floors. The toilets were either broken or in very bad condition, and there was no drinking water available. Additionally, there was an encroachment on a major area of the school.
Upon observing the dilapidated state of the school, Ms. Atishi admonished the principal and asked her to get the condition of the school fixed as soon as possible or strict action will be taken against her. She said, “The poor state of cleanliness in the school reflects the insensitive behavior of the school administration toward the future of the children studying here, and such carelessness regarding education cannot be tolerated.” She gave an ultimatum to the principal and education officer to run the school responsibly or else strict action would be taken against them.
It is to be noted that the aforementioned school was found in such a worrisome state despite permission to construct a new school building. However, it has not been completed for years. As a result, students are forced to sit on the floor and attend classes under a tin shed. The storeroom has been converted into a junkyard, and its roof can collapse anytime.
During the inspection, the Education Minister observed that the floor of the school run in the tin shed had been damaged. There were no desks in the classroom, and the children were forced to sit on the floor. The toilets at the school were either broken or in a pitiable state, and garbage was scattered around the playground on all sides. The wall adjoining the playground was also broken, and there was illegal encroachment on a part of the ground. Additionally, the storage room had become a junkyard, and its roof could collapse at any time.
Reprimanding the principal for the poor state of the school, Ms. Atishi said, “It is the duty of the principal to ensure that all children receive quality education in a clean and safe environment in the school. However, looking at the condition of the school, it is clear that the school administration is insensitive to the future of the children studying here.”
She added that the current situation of the school is the cause of the apathy towards education among the students studying here. Relevant authorities should take this matter seriously and work towards ensuring that all children in MCD schools receive the education they are entitled to.
She observed that while the students were compelled to sit on the floor in classrooms and use broken taps for drinking water and inadequate toilet facilities, the teachers and principal had access to well-maintained office rooms and toilets. Admonishing the principal on this, the Minister said, “Just because students in MCD schools come from poor socio-economic backgrounds, that does not mean they will be kept deprived of basic facilities in schools.”
While giving instructions to the School Inspector, she said, “A detailed report should be prepared on the discrepancies found in the school today during the inspection. All the issues must be resolved within 15 days, or else strict action will be taken by the concerned officials.”
The result of 15 years of BJP’s mismanagement in MCD is the dismal state of MCD schools
The Education Minister stated that the dilapidated condition of the MCD schools is a result of 15 years of mismanagement by the BJP in the MCD. During their entire tenure, the BJP has only worked to destroy schools. It is evident from the deteriorated classrooms, broken desks, and unhygienic conditions that the BJP has only played with the future of the children studying here. “Parents send their children to government schools with the belief that they will be taken care of, but BJP only ruined their future. However, now under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal, MCD schools will be made better, and every child will receive quality education,” she said.
