Thursday, April 23, 2009

BIG PROTEST BY PARENTS AND STUDENTS

19.04.2009

To
The Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Delhi
Raj Niwas, Raj Niwas Marg,
Delhi- 110054

Sub: Memorandum against Poor Quality MCD & Govt. Schools and Arbitrary Fee Hike by Unaided Private Schools

Respected Sir,

The issue of Arbitrary Fee Hike in Unaided Private Schools on one hand and the Poor Quality Government & MCD Schools on the other hand have brought all the parents of the students studying in these schools together realizing that they are the victims of the same kind of apathy on the part of the Government and therefore, need to give a joint fight to end all types of exploitation in the school education.


It is well known fact that the standard of education in Government Schools is bad and in the MCD Schools, it is even worse. The authorities manning these schools do not send their own children to these schools, as they are themselves convinced that these schools are not good. On the other hand, the unaided private schools are exploiting the hapless parents/students by subjecting them to pay arbitrary, unjust and exorbitant fee and other charges every year. The Government that is not only empowered but also has a duty under the law to check commercialization in the unaided private schools has miserably failed to do so. The Government has left the hapless parents to be looted by the private school mafia.


It is submitted that the Government and MCD Schools lack both in academic as well as in physical basic infrastructure. There is total absence of the appropriate environment in these schools for education. The recent incident of death of Class II girl student Sanno of MCD Primary School, Bawana, Delhi caused due to the cruel treatment by her teacher speaks for itself the kind of environment in these schools. The schools have reopened on 01.04.2009 but till date, more than 11 lacs students have not been provided with books. The annual report cards for the year 2008-2009 have not been given to nearly 10 lacs students of the MCD schools till date in spite of Hon’ble Delhi High Court taking serious view of the matter. More than 80% of the students passing class V from MCD schools do not know how to read or write their names.


It is submitted that the students with disabilities and particularly those suffering from visually, hearing and intellectual impairment studying in Govt. and MCD Schools do not at all have special teachers to take care of their educational needs. It is all in violation of the fundamental right to education of the lacs of children. The Government run schools recover nearly twenty five crores of rupees from the students on account of school fees in violation of fundamental right to free and compulsory school education. It would not be out of context to point out that nearly 15 lacs school age children in capital city of Delhi are out of school and are engaged in one or the other kind of labour. More than one lac school age children are engaged in rag picking process, which process is prohibited from 10.05.2001 under Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986. The Govt. of Delhi and MCD have failed on all fronts relating to the rights of the children. It is submitted that the Government is totally insensitive to the educational rights of the children.


Sir, you are the “Administrator” under Delhi School Education Act, 1973 and obliged to regulate the entire school education in Delhi . The parents are finding themselves cheated by the Government. Despite passing of more than 61 years of independence, the Constitutional Guarantee of free and compulsory good quality school education to every child is still a distant dream. The entire school education system is based on inequality and social injustice.


Therefore, the parents and the students of the Government, the MCD and the Unaided Private Schools have staged a peaceful protest today in front of your residence against Poor Quality MCD & Government School and Arbitrary Fee Hike by Unaided Private Schools demanding amongst others (i) immediate taking-over of all the MCD run schools by the Government of Delhi, (ii) immediate upgrading of the educational standard of all the government schools to the minimum level Kendriya Vidayalas Sangthan (KVS) and (iii) immediate roll back of all the hiked fee and other charges by the Unaided Private Schools unless justified through government audit of their financial records since the previous pay commission and in accordance with the parameters as laid down by the Hon’ble Delhi High Court in its decision dated 30.10.1998 in case of PIL by Delhi Abhibhavak Mahasangh.


It is needless to say that the Hon’ble Delhi High Court in Social Jurist’s PIL has asked the Govt. of Delhi to consider taking over of all the MCD schools and to provide education to all the children of the Government schools on the lines of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangthan (KVS). However, the Government has failed to do anything in this regard. It is submitted that there is an urgent need to have radical reforms on urgent basis in the entire school education system in Delhi .


Sir, we therefore, request you to kindly intervene in this matter immediately and take all effective steps towards realization of the aforementioned demands.


With regards,

Ashok Agarwal, Advocate
National President, All India Parents Association
M - 09811101923

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

11 lacs students of MCD & Govt Schools are without books

To
The Hon’ble Shri Arvinder Singh Lovely
Delhi Education Minister,
9, Shamnath Marg,
Delhi-110054

Sub: 11 Lacs students of primary sections of MCD & Govt Schools are without books.
Respected Sir,
You are aware of the fact that the Delhi Government and the MCD run schools have reopened from 01.04.2009 but more than 11 lacs students of primary sections of these schools have yet not been provided with the books. The authorities have made mockery of the fundamental right of every child to receive free and compulsory quality elementary education. The books are stated to be under printing and would be made available to the students only after July 2009. The Government has totally failed to perform their constitutional obligations. Sir, the parents, the students and the social activists have gathered in large number in front of your house today to lodge their strong protest against the said inaction on the part of the Government of Delhi.
It is submitted that the authorities manning these schools are not interested or concerned at all about the education of the children studying in these schools because their own children are going to unaided affluent private schools. It is no less a criminal negligence and a great injustice to these children. One can imagine the fate of the students without books. In absence of the books, even the teachers are finding difficult to teach the students as the syllabus has been changed from this academic year of 2009-2010.
The authorities are constitutionally obliged to ensure that the education of the students studying in the State run schools should not suffer at all. However, the experience reminds us that despite all tall claims made by the Government, the ground reality is that the students studying in these schools get step-motherly treatment at the hands of the Government. The non-availability of the books for the students is an example. The Government is totally apathetic to the educational needs of the students because these students belong to the underprivileged sections of society.
It is submitted that the aforesaid inaction on your part to provide books to the students on time tantamounts to violation of human and fundamental rights of the students as guaranteed to them under Article 14 (Right to Equality), Article 21 (Right to life with dignity), Article 21-A (Right to Education) and Article 38 (Right to Social Justice) read with U N Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). It is submitted that any further delay in providing books to the students would be detrimental to the interest of the students.
It is, therefore, requested that the books may be made available to all the students immediately.
With regards,
Ashok Agarwal, Advocate
Founder President