Keep off primary schools, corpns tell Dikshit govt

Stay out of the process of regularising private institutions

Alleging ‘interference’ in the authority of the municipal bodies, the North and South Delhi Municipal Corporations have demanded that Delhi government should stay out of the process of regularisation of private primary schools.

The corporation officials have objected to the state government’s notification regarding giving recognition to primary schools. 

As per an order issued by the Directorate of Education on March 22, the state government has instructed the unrecognised schools to apply online for recognition from class 1 to 5 on the website of education department.

The notification says the application shall be forwarded to the authority concerned by the education department thereafter.

The corporation officials have termed the order as infringement of their powers as primary education is their sole responsibility.

“Primary education is essential service under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 and Delhi School Education Act, 1973. Hence, provisions inviting applications by Government of NCT of Delhi and forwarding it to the corporation will unnecessary add more bottlenecks in the process of granting recognition,” said Satish Upadhyay, education committee chairman of South Corporation. 

“Therefore, all the documents for recognition must be sent directly to the corporation,” he said.

Leader of House in North Corporation Mahender Nagpal has written to Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit over the issue.

“I have requested the chief minister to instruct the education department to amend the rules. Schools must directly apply for regularisation with the corporation,” said Nagpal.
There are thousands of neighbourhood primary schools running across the city, which enrol hundreds of students.

But the fate of these schools has been hanging in balance due to the provisions of Master Plan of Delhi, which makes it mandatory for them to have a minimum of 800 square yards of land for regularisation.

However, the Delhi government has now diluted the clause. Now, only 200 square yards of land with a minimum number of rooms is required for regularisation.