Second shift at schools: govt sets up committee

Three months after giving schools the go-ahead to start a second shift, the government on Thursday said it had set up a committee to expedite the process.

Three months after giving schools the go-ahead to start a second shift, the government on Thursday said it had set up a committee to expedite the process.

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The government had passed the proposal to allow schools to start a second shift in December on the condition that they employ separate staff for each shift. The government had also said that a committee would be set up to prepare a framework for implementation of the proposal.

On Thursday, Vishwas Nagar MLA Naseeb Singh had enquired about the process of second shifts in private schools. Delhi education minister Kiran Walia comments on the formation of the committee came in response to Singh’s query.

Private schools have in the past demanded that they be allowed to start a second shift, saying the move will put their infrastructure to optimum use and benefit more students.

The issue was raised in the Assembly by MLA Singh who said that for the past 10 years, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has not allotted land for construction of private schools, which is building pressure on existing schools.

“Students coming from the NCR add further pressure on these schools. The government needs to take this up on a priority basis,” said Singh.

“There is not real need to set up a committee. The project has, as it is, been delayed for a long time even though the approval was given in December. Since all schools have agreed to operate the second shift as a separate school and have also resolved that they will not force the first shift children to study in the second shift, there is no real need for the committee now,” said RC Jain, president, Delhi State Public Schools Management Association.