MCD to derecognize schools without poor students quota

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has announced that all primary schools that have not been complying with the government's order for reserving 20 percent seats for students from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of the society may soon be derecognized.

The announcement was made by the education department of the MCD which had recently surveyed schools in the capital to isolate the ones that had not implemented the 20 percent quota of seats for EWS students. Some schools have already been identified and will soon be sent showcause notices by MCD.

Among the schools that have been identified by MCD are several top notch schools such as Himalaya School and DEZY in Rohini and Sri Ram School in Vasant Vihar.

A meeting has been scheduled on Tuesday to discuss the fate of over 100 schools within the MCD's jurisdiction that have not yet implemented the quota for EWS students and would have to face action as a consequence.

Mahender Nagpal, Chairman of MCD's Education Committee said that the decision to conduct a survey of schools in the city had been taken after several complaints were received from parents belonging to the EWS. "Several schools in MCD's jurisdiction have already been surveyed by our deputy education officers. Schools that have not fulfilled the criteria will soon be issued showcause notices for the same," he said.

He further informed that during the survey, several of MCD's officers had been denied entry by a number of schools. "All schools that do not implement the 20 percent quota even after being notified will be de-recognized. The survey is still being continued at 100 other schools, the results of which will be out soon," he said.

Ashok Aggarwal, advisor of Social Jurist, a civil rights group informed, "According to the list given by the Delhi government, there are 394 schools in the city which had been given land at cheaper prices by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). WE have found that more than a 100 schools that had been provided land at cheaper rates have not been admitting students from the EWS."

The survey revealed that Sri Ram School in Vasant Vihar has a total number of 575 students out of which only 24 students in nursery and Class 1 are from EWS. The actual number of EWS students that the school should have admitted is 110.

The schools in question have all denied the charges, alleging that the DDA had not provided them land at cheaper rates as it has been assumed in the survey. Manju Bharat Ram, chairperson of Sri Ram School said, "We bought the land for school at whatever price that had been quoted for it. The lease letter which had been given to us does not contain any information regarding the number of EWS students to be admitted to the school."

A statutory regulation on January 25, 2007 had made it mandatory for school built on public land and land that had been provided at cheaper rates to provide free admission and education to 20 percent students from the economically weak backgrounds.