<p>Despite the negativity surrounding schools run by municipal corporations, East Delhi Municipal Corporation commissioner S S Yadav believes several of them are functioning well. Excerpts from a conversation with Deccan Herald: <br /><br /></p>.<p>Municipal corporations run hundreds of schools where lakhs of students are enrolled. The budgetary allocation for primary education runs into crores of rupees, but still the image of primary schools fails to transform. Not many parents, even from the lower strata of society, prefer to get their kids enrolled in MCD schools. Why?<br /><br />While lack of adequate facilities is one of the reasons, cultural mindset about government schools that has been created over a period of time is also one of the reasons behind parents not willing to send their kids to Municipal Corporation of Delhi schools. Having said that, I would like to add that there are several schools that are functioning well. <br />Also, after the trifurcation we have been taking measures to improve quality of education in primary schools. <br /><br />Corporation schools lack basic infrastructure. Allegations like not having enough classrooms and toilets, and lack of maintenance and bad sanitation are common. It has been reported widely that students are forced to sit on floors as there are not enough <br />of desks. Why so despite crores of rupees being spent to run these schools?<br /><br />It is wrong to say that several schools do not have toilets. All school buildings that were constructed over the past few years have toilet blocks on each floor, both for boys and girls separately. As far as lack of other facilities like provision of desks is concerned, it is true that east Delhi schools need some 25,000 desks. <br /><br />The procurement process got delayed due to the trifurcation. Since the tendering process for desks was done by the unified Municipal Corpporation of Delhi, things got delayed. But orders for 12,500 desks have been made, and samples have been sent for testing. Soon they will be delivered to schools. Starting April, no kid will have to sit on the floor in the classroom.<br /><br />What special measures the corporation is planning to improve infrastructure and quality of education in primary schools? <br /><br />As far as infrastructure is concerned, we will add more classrooms. More schools buildings will also be constructed in the coming financial year. And as far as quality of education is concerned, it depends on three things — availability of adequate number of teachers, quality of teachers and training them frequently. We are focusing on all the three aspects to improve quality of education.<br /><br />Please elaborate.<br /><br />There are several vacant posts of teachers in municipal schools. We have sent requisition to the DSSSB (Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board). In the meantime we are hiring 681 teachers under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan of the central government. In order to train the teachers, we are opening a training institute in association with IT major Tech Mahindra in Dilshad Garden. The company is likely to spend Rs 1 crore per year to train the teachers. A school nearby will be used as a lab for training teachers for providing modern education. We also plan to open a library in each school to improve reading habits of kids.</p>
<p>Despite the negativity surrounding schools run by municipal corporations, East Delhi Municipal Corporation commissioner S S Yadav believes several of them are functioning well. Excerpts from a conversation with Deccan Herald: <br /><br /></p>.<p>Municipal corporations run hundreds of schools where lakhs of students are enrolled. The budgetary allocation for primary education runs into crores of rupees, but still the image of primary schools fails to transform. Not many parents, even from the lower strata of society, prefer to get their kids enrolled in MCD schools. Why?<br /><br />While lack of adequate facilities is one of the reasons, cultural mindset about government schools that has been created over a period of time is also one of the reasons behind parents not willing to send their kids to Municipal Corporation of Delhi schools. Having said that, I would like to add that there are several schools that are functioning well. <br />Also, after the trifurcation we have been taking measures to improve quality of education in primary schools. <br /><br />Corporation schools lack basic infrastructure. Allegations like not having enough classrooms and toilets, and lack of maintenance and bad sanitation are common. It has been reported widely that students are forced to sit on floors as there are not enough <br />of desks. Why so despite crores of rupees being spent to run these schools?<br /><br />It is wrong to say that several schools do not have toilets. All school buildings that were constructed over the past few years have toilet blocks on each floor, both for boys and girls separately. As far as lack of other facilities like provision of desks is concerned, it is true that east Delhi schools need some 25,000 desks. <br /><br />The procurement process got delayed due to the trifurcation. Since the tendering process for desks was done by the unified Municipal Corpporation of Delhi, things got delayed. But orders for 12,500 desks have been made, and samples have been sent for testing. Soon they will be delivered to schools. Starting April, no kid will have to sit on the floor in the classroom.<br /><br />What special measures the corporation is planning to improve infrastructure and quality of education in primary schools? <br /><br />As far as infrastructure is concerned, we will add more classrooms. More schools buildings will also be constructed in the coming financial year. And as far as quality of education is concerned, it depends on three things — availability of adequate number of teachers, quality of teachers and training them frequently. We are focusing on all the three aspects to improve quality of education.<br /><br />Please elaborate.<br /><br />There are several vacant posts of teachers in municipal schools. We have sent requisition to the DSSSB (Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board). In the meantime we are hiring 681 teachers under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan of the central government. In order to train the teachers, we are opening a training institute in association with IT major Tech Mahindra in Dilshad Garden. The company is likely to spend Rs 1 crore per year to train the teachers. A school nearby will be used as a lab for training teachers for providing modern education. We also plan to open a library in each school to improve reading habits of kids.</p>
