Rs 1,257 crore does little for BMC schools
Despite spending crores on improving infrastructure and providing uniforms and bags, pass percentage still averages under 50 in civic schools
PANDURANG MHASKE
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is spending crores of rupees on repairing its schools, providing educational kits and flavoured milk for the students. Yet, there is no provision for improving the quality of education provided in these schools. As the pass percentage for the SSC exams struggles to climb above 50 each year, it becomes a cause for worry.
This year, the BMC distributed school bags, raincoats, shoes, uniforms, water bottles, tiffin boxes, etc, collectively worth Rs 105 crore, to its students. It has also earmarked Rs 297 crore for distribution of flavoured milk for the next three years. Another Rs 167 crore is allotted to repair work. On Friday, the standing committee passed a Rs 64-crore proposal to repair, reconstruct and upgrade the existing facilities of 10 municipal schools over the next two years, after a court-appointed committee confirmed that 179 buildings were in urgent need of repairs. The funds for this will also come from the Rs 1,257-crore budget.
In all of this, no apparent step has been taken to improve the quality of education imparted in the schools. But the education committee chairman, Mangesh Satamkar, begs to differ. “The administration is already making efforts to improve the quality of education in municipal schools,” he says, “and is supporting it with the infrastructure development to give the schools a complete makeover.”
They are conducting workshops and seminars for teachers and headmasters to update them on new methods of teaching and to help them interact better with students, he adds. Ramesh Joshi, president of the Mumbai Shikshak Sabha, also agrees. “The administration has started the process,” Joshi says, “but it will take some more time to improve the quality of education. As BMC teachers’ union leaders, we are adopting the schools, and you will see the improvement next year.” The body adopts one to two schools every year and works closely with the teachers to improve teaching methods, increase teacher-parent interaction and help deal with difficult cases
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