AAP’s tall claims aside; safety concerns and lack of infra mar Delhi govt schools

New Delhi: Barely a couple of days before AAP convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the country’s first virtual school called the Delhi Model Virtual School in the national capital on Wednesday, safety concerns and lack of basic infrastructure in government schools were pointed out by irate guardians as well as the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which recommended a safety audit for such schools.

Lack of maintenance and how children in these AAP-run government schools were vulnerable to accidents came under the scanner when a ceiling fan fell on a student’s head at the Government Girls/Boys Senior Secondary School in West Delhi’s Nangloi (JJ Colony Number 2). The student was seriously injured and was rushed to a private hospital. The incident occurred on 27 August and the student is still undergoing treatment.

Understandably, the angry family members questioned the school authorities about the ceiling which was damp and had water dripping from it for some time. A chunk of the ceiling had loosened and the fan came crashing down on the student’s head. After the school authorities refused to comment on the matter, the family members of the injured student approached the NCPCR with a written complaint, prompting Dharmendra Bhandari, principal private secretary to NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo, to issue a stern directive to the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government to initiate a safety audit in its schools.”

“The Commission has taken cognisance of the matter under section 13 (1) (j) of the CPCR Act, 2005. The Commission thereby requests your good offices to take prompt and necessary action in this matter, ensuring the safety of children in schools. Kindly submit the report along with the necessary documents to the Commission within 10 days of the receipt of this letter,” the directive issued by the NCPCR to the Delhi government read.

Far from carrying out a safety audit, the Delhi government remains unaware of the condition of most of its schools. Touting the Delhi Model of education as a successfully fulfilled poll promise, Kejriwal has held roadshows and several poll campaigns earlier. Delhi’s government schools and how successfully they provide education for the masses, remains at the core of Kejriwal’s poll manifestoes ahead of every Delhi Legislative Assembly elections, two of which his party has won back-to back. The reality on the ground for most students who frequent these Delhi government schools is, however, very different. Lack of adequate teachers, basic infrastructure, clean drinking water are just some of the problems which plague these schools.

Earlier last week, the Delhi chief minister got involved in a very public spat on Twitter with his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma. The argument between the two leaders in the virtual space began after Kejriwal tweeted that closure of schools is not the solution and there is a need to open more schools across the country. He also shared a link to a news report claiming that some schools in Assam had been shut. The Assam CM hit back at Kejriwal over the amalgamation of schools and asked him to “do his homework” before commenting.

Sarma also asked how many schools did the Delhi government start in the last seven years that it has been in power, obliquely suggesting that the AAP government was often found taking credit for existing schools rather than setting up more and well equipped centres of learning catering to the masses.

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