Delhi BJP Condemns Govt Decision to Close Unrecognized Schools
The Delhi unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has condemned the government’s decision to close the unrecognized private schools.
By Rakesh Raman
The Education Department of the Delhi Government headed by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has launched a crackdown on the informal private education in Delhi.
Citing the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009, the Department says that “no school be established or function, without obtaining a certificate of recognition and conforming to norms and standards specified in the schedule to the Act.”
In a recently issued notice, the Directorate of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi stated that it has observed that several unrecognized private schools are functioning without obtaining the mandatory certificate of recognition from appropriate authority within the provisions of section 18(1) of RTE Act 2009.
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In view of the compliance of the provisions of RTE, the official notice has directed all societies, trusts, agencies, organizations, and individuals running unrecognized schools up to Primary, Elementary, Secondary, and Sr. Secondary in Delhi to discontinue the educational activities from the academic session 2018-19.
It is believed that an estimated 2,500 unrecognized private schools operate in Delhi and nearly 10 lakh (1 million) students are admitted in them.
The Delhi unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has condemned the government’s decision to close the unrecognized private schools.
[ आओ मिल कर शुरू करें – शिक्षा लाओ, स्कूल बचाओ – आंदोलन ]
In a statement issued Sunday, Vijender Gupta – the leader of the opposition in Delhi Assembly and MLA from Rohini – said that the (Kejriwal) government should first make the alternative education arrangement for lakhs of children before taking a decision on schools closure.
दिल्ली सरकार पहले ग़ैर मान्यता प्राप्त स्कूलों मे पढ़ रहे लाखों बच्चों के लिये शिक्षा का वैकल्पिक प्रबन्ध करे,इसके बाद ही ग़ैर मान्यता प्राप्त स्कूलों पर फ़ैसला ले।ये स्कूल झुग्गी,ग़रीब,अनधिकृत बस्तियों व गाँवों मे चल रहे है जहाँ सरकार ने शिक्षा के समुचित प्रबन्ध नही किये है। pic.twitter.com/UChGX1dK0F
— Vijender Gupta (@Gupta_vijender) February 18, 2018
Gupta also stated that unrecognized schools are mostly running in poor localities and villages where the government has not made proper education arrangements.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Education has warned that the schools that did not comply with its order will face action under Section 18(5) of the RTE Act 2009.
It has also advised general public to get their children admitted only in those schools which are run as well as recognized by the Directorate of Education or other local authorities.
By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society.
