RETF REPORT

MCD’S UGLY DUCKLINGS

A team of volunteers of Right to Education Task Force (RETF) made a surprise visit to MCD Primary School in Kewal Park near Azadpur Mandi on February 26,2007.The school is housed in an imposing 4-storeyed building standing majestically in a sprawling open area of this North Delhi’s crowded colony. As you go near the building you cannot move about in the school without keeping a handkerchief on your nose. The whole thing is a ‘perfect picture’ of utter neglect and decay. It will without doubt be a ‘top scorer’ in MCD Primary Schools ‘Beauty Contest’. What hits you in the eye (and also nose and ears) is briefly described as under:

1.            Extremely poor all-round maintenance, wherever your eyes can look- filthy toilets with stagnant urine accumulation as all the outlets are clogged since the construction of the building, broken walls /floors, window panes, benches, stairs, electrical fittings, dirty water points where over a 1,000 students are supposed to quench their thirst and wash hands. The toilet for the staff is equally filthy and smelly.

2.         What a tribute to the professional skills of MCD architects and engineers- the level of the whole premises is mysteriously a few feet lower than the surrounding roads resulting in flooding and water logging when it rains. Teachers and students rightly complain that they have to literally wade through or swim across to reach the entrance gate. That is why during the rainy season student’s attendance is shamefully low.

3.         This co-educational Primary School having over 800 students in the morning shift operates from ground, first and second floors. It has not been provided with any benches and the tiny tots have to squat on dirty ‘durries’ partially covering the ice- cold flooring.

4.         In the afternoon it becomes Delhi Administration’s Secondary School since its original building was demolished in the nearby Gopalpur  area and had to be shifted to this building. As the property belongs to MCD there is a sort of “landlord-tenant running feud with Delhi Administration teachers and staff, both blaming each other for all their ills. The blame game has been going on unresolved ever since resulting in the total neglect of the premises maintenance. Isn’t it a classic ease of “ Do Mullon Mein Murghi Haram !”

5.         The earnest HM of the Primary School, Mrs. Shashi Prabha Gupta, showed us the numerous complaints / appeals sent by her to the concerned authorities. All her letters have fallen on deaf ears and nothing has been done. She showed us the damage done to walls, electricity wiring / fittings, window panes, notice boards / framed posters by the mischievous elements among the Secondary School students particularly in Room No. 202, 203, 204 and 207. It is unfortunate that her protests to the authorities in the Senior School have been ignored. The team visited the large office of the Principal, Shri Mohar Singh,  for verification of  the facts but did not have the good fortune of meeting him as he had not yet arrived before the start of the afternoon shift at about 12:45 P.M.

6.         At this time a huge crowd of School students had gathered in the lawns waiting impatiently to rush into their classrooms while Primary School students were struggling to find their way out. This noisy chaos can easily be avoided by regulating properly the arrived / exit of students of both the shifts. The team found the school gate unmanned and wide open all the time. This can cause security problems and must be remedied urgently.

7.            Although one could see a few unkept trees, there is not a single flower / shrub around. Proper horticulture can do wonders in this large area. MCD Horticulture Dept. needs to be activated without further delay.

8.         Most of the ills of the School can be traced to infrastructural and bureaucratic lapses. The teaching standards do not seem to be bad as the students here win large number of scholarships / competitions in every class, thanks to the professional efficiency of the HM and teachers. The team in the due course will dwell on ways and means to further improve teaching standards.

9.         The backyard of the School is overflowing with garbage and can cause spreading of avoidable diseases. This is crying for immediate attention by the Sanitation Department.

10.       Lack of proper cleanliness is another serious problem. Teachers complain that a solitary (Rs.900/- per month) Safai Karamchari is deputed to this large premises for 10 – 15 days but he suddenly disappears.

11.       At present, there are 6 computers available in the Computer Room run efficiently by a young teacher. Students unanimously wanted more computers, as these are a great attraction for the tiny tots.

12.       It appears that the classrooms / verandahs had not dusted for ages. Broken windowpanes must be repaired / replaced without delay.

13.       The team could not inspect the Midday Meals service. However, there were no complaints about the quantity or the quality of food. It will look into this aspect in good detail during the next visit.

14.       The boundary has been poorly designed. Naturally, it is very inviting for the hoodlums of the surrounding colony to jump over easily to ease themselves or play games. The boundary wall must be raised to 8 feet for proper protection / security. The gate must never be left unguarded / unlocked.

15.       The School attracts students mostly from the nearby Mukandpur slum. There are hardly any students from the slightly economically better residents of the next-door Kewal Park colony who prefers to send their children to well run and neat private schools. With the improved infrastructure and cleanliness, it can cater to the needs of all the nearby colonies.

The visiting RETF team comprised three volunteers, namely, Bhai M.P Singh (Co-ordinator,Civil Line Zone), Shri Nirbhay Narula and N.N Kesar, and unanimously submits the following suggestions for immediate action:-

a)   Since the all- prevailing ills of the MCD schools are mostly due to managerial / administrative failures, this aspect must be given urgent attention and remedied.

b)   To start with, one  ‘ Nodal Officer’ each in MCD Education Department, Delhi Administration’s Education Department and MCD’s Head Office should be named for regular coordination, monitoring and implementation of time- bound action plans to improve the working of schools which are presently in a very bad shape .It is strongly proposed that the Municipal Commissioner may himself chair Monthly Review Meetings for this purpose. The erring officials should be brought to book to revive the languishing discipline, morale and desired efficiency at all levels.

c)   In the interest of transparency and wider public information the Municipal Commissioner may organize press briefings atleast once a month to disseminate information on MCD concrete action on social activists suggestions.

d)   Senior Social Jurist Activist like Shri Ashok Aggarwal should also be associated with the Commissioners Monthly Review Meetings. This will go a long way in clearing the age- old mess. Cleaning the “ Augeaus Stables” is not a joke. May God Help us all.

Ashok Agarwal

Advocate

Convenor, Right To Education Task Force

M: 9811101923

02.03.2007

Email - socialjurist@socialjurist.com