Deplorable Condition of Schools in North East Delhi
THE North East Delhi unit of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) organised a “Ghanti Bajao, Kejriwal Sarkar ko Jaago” programme on April 26 to draw attention to the deplorable condition of schools in North East Delhi and to urge the Kejriwal government to take action. Hundreds of students and their families participated in the programme, which involved ringing bells and distributing a demand letter to the education minister and the chief minister regarding the problems faced by the schools.
The programme was held near the Government Sarvodaya Bal and Kanya Vidyalaya located in Khajuri Khas. During the event, DYFI Delhi state secretary Aman Saini addressed the participants and criticiSed the government for violating the Right to Education Act. He highlighted the fact that the law stipulates at least 7.5 hours of study per day and a student-teacher ratio of 1:30, whereas the schools in the north-east district have only one teacher and the number of students in classes range between 50 and 80.
There are 47 government schools in North East Delhi with millions of enrolled students. However, many of these schools operate under an odd-even schedule and have two-hour classes, and the number of students enrolled in most government schools is several times higher than the available facilities. As a result, education quality has been steadily declining, with many students, particularly those in grades 9 and 11, failing exams in recent days.
Nusrat, DYFI treasurer of North East Delhi district, raised concerns about the discrimination against students studying in government schools of North-East Delhi and questioned why they are being denied the right to better education. Pushpa, district secretary of Janwadi Mahila Samiti, highlighted that most government schools in North-East Delhi have more students than available facilities and lack sufficient teachers.
DYFI has launched a campaign to improve the education of North East Delhi, and some progress has been made since the launch of the campaign, such as the resumption of full-time classes in some schools. However, the agitation will continue until the condition of these schools improves.
