reports on plans for schools

Low enrollment forces MCD to merge schools

Staff Reporter/ New Delhi

Keeping in view the steady fall in the number of students enrolled in schools run by it, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Standing Committee decided to merge 33 schools on Wednesday.

The resolution was passed after low enrollment in primary schools run by the MCD was reported to the Standing Committee. The Standing Committee decided that it was a waste of money to run such schools as the staff was being paid full salary despite its under-utilisation.

The MCD Commissioner in a letter to the Standing Committee mentioned that the low turnout of students was primarily due to the shifting of population from one area on account of commercialisation of the area.

According to the Commissioner, there was enough space in the schools to accommodate the extra students from the schools closed by the MCD. Also, the staff which would be rendered surplus by the move would be posted to other schools in the zone which had vacancies.

However, the committee did not mentioned any financial implications in the proposals. In the last five years about 53 schools have been merged.

This year three schools in the central zone, five in Shahdhara zone, six in West zone, four in Karol Bagh zone, three in city zone, two in South zone and nine in Civil zone have been merged.

In another development, keeping in view the arrival of winter, the Standing Committee passed the resolution regarding the free distribution of jerseys to the children studying in MCD primary schools.

The corporation also passed the proposal that two sets of school uniforms would be given to the students. For the boys, the winter uniform would consist of cloth for two shirts, two shorts and one trouser. Similarly, the girl students would be provided with two sets of uniform comprising of cloth for two kotis and two shirts.

The Standing Committee was informed by the Education Committee that the enrollment in MCD schools in the ensuing academic session is expected to be to the tune of 9.5 lakh and the present ratio of boys and girls in MCD schools is 51:49

Protest against MCD school merger plan

HT Correspondent

New Delhi, October 22

The decision of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to merge its 33 primary schools for reasons of low-enrolment has drawn flak from the BJP, which has alleged that the move aims at keeping the poor financial position of the Corporation under wraps.

BJP leader Vijender Kumar Gupta, a councillor from Rohini, said that the move would deprive nearly 1300 children in his ward between the age-group of 6-14 years of their constitutional right to primary education. He alleged that the enrollment figures in the Corporation primary schools have been kept on the lower side deliberately.

"Of the 20,998 sanctioned posts for assistant primary teachers, 3022 posts have not been filled up. Same is the case with nursery teachers — of the 1420 posts, 101 posts are lying empty,” he said

Playgrounds may soon be things of past

Shruti Maheswari

New Delhi, October 22

New schools coming up in Delhi might have to use parks as playgrounds. A DDA proposal, which wants to "further reduce the plot size for all schools while making new allotments", could mean smaller green areas or possibly no playgrounds.

New schools might get less land than they had asked for. "An application for a 8,000-sq. m. plot would be allotted just 6,000 sq. m., of which 4000 sq. m. should be the built-up area. The remainder would accommodate the parking lot and a green patch," said a senior DDA official.

The proposal will bring land allotment norms at par with CBSE's bye-laws for granting affiliation, said officials. CBSE requires that a secondary school have a "minimum" of 2,000 sq. m. land, senior secondary school (with two streams) 3,000 sq. m. and senior secondary school (with all streams) 4,000 sq. m.

"The government has set aside 400 acres for parks in Rohini and Dwarka and over 500 acres for a golf course near Burari, but it has no land for children," said an applicant, who wants to build a new school.

"A cricket or a hockey field requires four acres. In such small schools, 2,000 students will not even be able to stand together for their morning assembly," he said.

CBSE requires "adequate ground to create outdoor facilities for a 200-m track, kabaddi, kho-kho and volley ball", but it does not deem it necessary for schools to have their own playgrounds. "We see if a school has a playground nearby," said a CBSE official