Dropout rate in MCD schools hits 5-yr high; officials blame sealing
THE percentage of students dropping out of MCD-run schools this year hit 9.01 per cent—the highest in the past five years.
And, while education experts attribute this to the shabby state of the schools, education department officials blame it on the grip of the demolition and sealing drives over the city in the past one-and-a-half years. The dropout rate in 2005-06 was 8.06 per cent.
“We have shut 39 schools in the last one year because of illegal slums being removed and sealings in commercial areas like Karol Bagh and Paharganj in the early half of 2006. While we have a provision for transferring these students to nearby schools, most of them drop out,” said an MCD official.
With the civic body closing three schools on the Pushta stretch, officials claim close to a thousand students studying in these schools have dropped out. “Most slum dwellers were shifted to Bawana but our schools there are empty as people did not migrate to Bawana. Also, they cannot return to Pushta. With rickshawpullers and street vendors being removed from areas like Chandni Chowk, we might end up losing out more students as parents from low income groups send their children to municipal schools,” added the official.
The MCD is now planning to conduct a survey in July to create a database of schoolgoing children. “After pinning down households that are not sending children to school, we will try and encourage the parents to do so,” said the official.
Meanwhile, activists like Shailendra Sharma of NGO Pratham, which has worked on several projects in MCD schools feels the reason for dropping out is the increase in the number of private schools. “There are about 1,500 unrecognised private schools in every nook and corner of the city. MCD schools have such a bad reputation that a parent wouldn’t mind spending Rs 50 and sending his or her child to a private “English” medium school,” said Sharma.
Sharma adds, “MCD has nearly 1,800 schools and 39 schools is just a fraction of the total figure. There is definitely much more to the story if the figures are so high for the entire lot.” he said.
Ashok Aggarwal of Social Jurist, an NGO, adds, “Corporal punishment in MCD schools is another reason to drive away children, especially boys. Besides, they lack basic facilities like clean drinking water and toilets.”