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'Chaos' in north MCD schools due to acute staff shortage

Presently, there are only nine teachers at the school for around 1,000 students

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There are only 9 teachers against nearly 1,000 students at a civic school in Jahangirpuri
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It's been a month ever since classes have resumed but Shashank Kumar, a class fourth student at a north civic body school in Jahangirpuri, has not written a single word or number in his Mathematics notebook. Reason being the school is yet to allot the required number of teachers and therefore no classes are being held in the discipline as of now.

Presently, there are only nine teachers at the school for around 1,000 students. The teacher student ratio is 111:1 that is far more than the mandated ratio of 35:1 as per the Right to Education (RTE) Act. "Most classes are going free these days. Sometimes we sit with the students of other classes. Kuchh sunayi nahi deta. Bahut halla hota hai," Kumar said.

This is the case with several other schools operating under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), who are struggling with "acute" shortage of staff as the contracts of teachers have not been renewed by the authority yet. For instance, at a girls' school in Mukundpur, there are only ten teachers for around 1,800 students.

Similarly, at another school in Bhalswa Dairy area, there are ten teachers for around 1,300 students. "Every second north corporation school is coping with the same problem. Some schools are working with as few as 6 teachers. How can we expect the teachers to teach around 150 to 200 students at a time. We are receiving complaints from parents that their children are not learning anything. How do we convince them to send their children to us," said Naresh Verma, principal at a north civic body school in Jahangirpuri.

According to a report released by NGO Praja Foundation, estimated drop out percentage in schools run by the north body was higher than other two corporations, east and south, in the academic year 2016-17. Currently, over 2.5 lakh students study in around 700 schools of north MCD.

The schools operating under Delhi's three civic bodies offer education upto class 5th and 60% teachers are hired on contractual basis. "Every year the contracts of teachers get renewed in the first week of July. However, this time the corporation is delaying it in the garb of initiating appointment process of regular teachers," said Ramniwas Solanki, general secretary, Municipal Corporation of Teachers' Association.

However, officials at the civic body said they have directed the schools to give them school-wise teacher and students strength within next 15 days. "We are going to assess the total strength of students in civic body schools on August 31 as out admission process will end by then. And, then only we can decide on the number of teachers required in these schools," said Yogendra Singh Mann, spokesperson for north and east corporation.

Meanwhile, contractual teachers said that the delay will cause them a month salary. "We are waiting for our contracts being renewed. Teachers working with the south and east civic bodies have already joined. We are going to lose a month salary due to apathy of the authority," said a teacher who has been working at contractual basis since 2010.

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