The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has come up with shocking revelations after surprise checks on the schools run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi ( MCD) in the national capital.
A team led by DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal and other members, including Promila Gupta, Sarika Chaudhary, Firdos Khan, and Vandana Singh conducted surprise inspections at four MCD schools on May 20 and 21 and found used syringes, cigarette butts and alcohol bottles on the playground and other areas in the premises of those schools.
Terming the conditions in four schools under the MCD as “pathetic, unsafe and deeply disturbing”, the DCW has issued a notice to the Municipal Commissioner directing that action be taken immediately and that explanations be issued. In its notice, the DCW stated that it instituted an inquiry into the safety of girls in primary schools in Delhi “upon receiving complaints” and inspected four schools — in Bhai Mandeep Nagpal Nigam Vidhyalaya,Aruna Nagar (North), Nigam Pratibha Sah Shiksha Vidhyalaya, Kewal Park (North), Purvi Dilli Nagar Nigam Pratibha Vidhyalaya, Mustafabad (East),Dakshini Dilli Nagar Nigam Prathmik Sah Bal Balika Vidhyalaya, Sanjay Colony, Bhati Mines (South).
The DCW flagged 15 issues it came across in these schools: lack of security guards, dilapidated and unsafe buildings, criminal activities occurring inside the campus, lack of CCTV cameras, lack of mid-day meals, missing teachers, lack of hygiene, unsanitary toilets, broken furniture, lack of proper drinking water, missing boundary wall, overcrowding of classes, lack of counsellors, lack of proper grounds and sports facilities, and poorly lit corridors.
It has directed the commissioner to provide an action-taken report on each of its listed observations with a timeline for resolution of the issues, details of officials responsible and action taken against them, and details of visits and inspections made by commissioners and officials to the four schools since January 1, 2017. It has also sought “a detailed explanation on why no action was taken to remedy these critical issues till date.”
DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal stated, “I am shocked to see the hopelessly dismal condition of MCD schools. These schools are horror houses where students and teachers are extremely unsafe”. “How can a school exist without a security guard and CCTV? How can a school exist in a building where a board has been put up by MCD itself, requesting people to stay away as the building is damaged! ‘, she added.
In the school at Aruna Nagar, many times several groups of people high on drugs enter the premises and threaten the authorities. Parts of the ceiling and walls have fallen several times in the school at Aruna Nagar and there have been several narrow escapes.
It stated that at school in Kewal Nagar it found “used syringes (drugs), cigarette boxes, gutkha wrappers and even broken alcohol bottles inside its premises” and stated that “the blatant misuse of the school’s grounds for anti-social activities reflects dangers faced by the students studying in this school” and said Delhi Police should file an FIR in matter. In the school at Bhati Mines, the girl toilets were locked and the boys and girls were forced to defecate in open, as there was no water connection in the toilets, said DCW spokesperson. In school at Bhati mines, it was observed that even at 9 am (1.5 hours after the school started), teachers had not arrived at 3 out of 9 classes for girls.
The school incharge was also not present in the school by then. The students informed that teachers generally come after 9 am to school. The Commission also observed that the schools did not have a single functional CCTV camera. The schools as well as toilets were extremely dirty.
The Commission was informed that MCD is running summer classes for the children studying in its school from 7:30 am to 11:00 am. However, the mid day meal is presently not being served in any of its schools.