Nagpur: The government assures education for all under the Right to Education (RTE). The goverment even talks of public awareness through advertisements. On visiting the government school one comes to know how bad the condition of these schools is. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) Marathi higher primary School is in such a pitiable condition that one will forget the ‘Education For All’ slogan.
The number of students are 126 while the teachers are 7. Earlier, there were 6 teachers and the school made demand for one more additional teachers from NMC and the demand was fulfilled. The missionary schools have 10 days Christmas holidays, this can be understood but the NMC school has one week’s holiday for Christmas. Under what rule the holidays were given, regarding this only higher officials of NMC will be able to tell. From 1 Jan 2018 all the NMC schools will open.
Teachers forced to teach all subjects
In NMC school there 126 students and 7 teachers. According to state government after every 35 students there should be 1 teacher. In this school the ratio is okay. But the NMC has given a single teacher the responsibility to teach all the subject that is total 7 subjects. It is difficult for the Hindi or Marathi teacher to teach other subjects. There is neither time for NMC nor government to think about it. The NMC school has one peon, one watchman and one sweeper but the watchman and sweeper are never seen in the premises.
Disturbing surrounding
Though there is compound round school yet the people are seen holding there progrmmes there and this is because of the Corporator who has been encouraging them. The rods of the front gate have been removed as well as the back gate has been broken from below to gain entry into the school easily. Even the hooligans from the nearby slum area create ruckus. The nearby people have made the school a dumping yard as the garbage is thrown here and the principal has to remain a mute spectator as the people here start fighting. The drainages near the school are open and just in front is gutter which emit obnoxious odour.
The children coming here to study are from the nearby slum. Naturally the children of IAS officers, Corporators or high officials are not going to come here. Whatever the condition may be but still the children come to the school.
Teachers, principals go to net cafe to complete their work.
The NMC had given 5 computers which teachers as well as the students could use . Teachers were also sent to teach computer to students. With the coming of computers the work became easy but soon the computers were taken away from school leaving the teachers, students, principal in lurch. Now left with no computers, the teachers and principal have to go to net cafe to finish their work.There are talks of digitalisation but the reality is different
Lack of security in NMC schools
The NMC schools here lack security. The students and staff are left to their fate. It is not like the CBSE or other private school that have CCTV cameras for their security. CBSE’s and private school have education officers, Deputy Directors for the children’s security and it appears the security is only for the CBSE and public schools.
Principal laments
A principal of one of the NMC schools said that their condition is better than other schools. Principal Sunita Pahapadkar said that they collect the students daily from their home. The students don’t want to come but teachers make efforts to bring them so that the num ber of students in school increase. She says about ten schools’ work is done from this school. The old students often come for transfer certificates and so this disturbs their teaching as they come at any hour of the day. Leaving teaching the NMC teachers are given other works , she lamented.
