The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) issued a notice to the BJP-controlled municipal corporation in the city on Monday, September 5, seeking an explanation within two weeks for the "poor" performance of primary schools. The commission also said an inquiry has been ordered into the "poor quality of education" in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) schools, as stated in a report by PTI.
In a notice of inquiry, the DCPCR, the statutory watchdog of the Delhi government in matters of child rights, cited the National Achievement Survey (NAS) Report, 2021 for Class III to highlight the quality of teaching and learning in the city's municipal schools.
The responsibility of imparting primary education lies with the MCD. The unified MCD is currently functioning under the BJP-led Centre. "The NAS Class III results paint a dismal picture of teaching and learning in municipal schools, which rank Delhi among the lowest five performing states in India," the notice read, as per PTI.
What did the survey report reveal?
"The Class III results of Municipal Corporation of Delhi are below the national average in all three subjects: Language, Maths, and Environmental Studies. The average state score for Class III in language is merely 52 per cent while the national average is 62 per cent," the notice said, as per PTI.
The DCPCR has asked the MCD to file an explanation within two weeks. "The commission issues notice to Municipal Corporation of Delhi seeking an explanation for the poor performance" the notice read. Taking to Twitter, DCPCR Chairperson Anurag Kundu said that an inquiry has been ordered to look into the "poor quality of education" in the MCD schools. "DCPCR has ordered an inquiry regarding absolutely poor quality of education in MCD schools. The performance of the MCD schools has been ranked amongst bottom 5 in whole India," Kundu tweeted, as per PTI.
Legislators of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including the party's chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, live-streamed their visit to the MCD schools on social media platforms on Saturday, highlighting the "poor condition" of the buildings, classrooms, toilets and campuses, and slammed the BJP for raising questions on the Delhi government's expenditure on the construction of its schools.
The MCD denied that the condition in its schools is "poorer than those run by the city government" after the AAP MLAs highlighted their "poor condition" on social media. The civic body has said that the "intrusion by a group of 30-40 people" in the schools was "uncalled for" and the children had to "suffer a rude break to the harmonious rhythm of their learning process," as per PTI.
