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DCPCR serves notice to three MCDs over ‘teacher vacancies’
New Delhi: The Delhi Commission For Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) on Wednesday issued notices to the three BJP-ruled municipal corporations seeking details of vacant teachers’ posts in the schools run by them, and action to address the issue in the last three years
New Delhi: The Delhi Commission For Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) on Wednesday issued notices to the three BJP-ruled municipal corporations seeking details of vacant teachers’ posts in the schools run by them, and action to address the issue in the last three years.
The notices came two days after Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday alleged that three civic bodies have made a “mess” of the municipal schools citing the Central government’s Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) report for 2019-20, adding that it was “tarnishing Delhi’s image”.
The report stated that only 50% of municipal schools in Delhi maintained pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) as mandated by the Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009. Sisodia further said that while 98% of the Delhi government schools have maintained the RTE mandated PTR, 58% of East MCD schools, 46% of North MCD schools, and 39% of South MCD schools are not following it.
The three corporations-- east, north, and south -- on Monday shared the data of the number of teachers engaged in their schools claiming that the discrepancy in numbers is the result of leaving out contractual teachers in the data mentioned in the report.
On Wednesday, DCPCR chairperson Anurag Kundu issued separate notices to three MCD, saying that media reports have brought to their notice “that nearly half of the MCD schools do not adhere to the pupil-teacher ratio prescribed under the RTE Act 2009”.
“The commission in the exercise of powers vested in it under section 34 of the Commission For Protection of Child Rights Act 2005 has decided to conduct an inquiry into this alleged violation of the Right to Education Act,” the notice said.
The commission has asked the three MCDs to provide “school-wise data” on the number of vacant teaching positions in their schools. It has also asked the officials to provide details on the number of regular, contractual, and guest teachers. A detailed report has to be submitted with the DCPCR by July 12.
When contacted officials at the three MCD said they have already shared the data mentioning the number of teachers engaged with them. East MCD mayor Shyam Sundar Agarwal said, “We will share the same data with the DCPCR. The commission can come and examine our records.”
As per the data shared by the three MCD on Monday, the 357 schools under the east civic body have a total of 4,764 teachers for 159,550 students enrolled. The South civic body said that it has 6,044 teachers for 254,303 students enrolled across its 581 schools. And the North corporation claimed to have 7,700 teachers for around 240,000 students enrolled across its 780 schools.
