Concept Note for Better Education for Economically Weaker Section and use of RTI (2008)

An important area where the poor people are facing problems in Delhi is the education sector. Although this section of the population has access only to government schools, yet it is widely recognized that the quality of education provided in such schools is extremely poor and deficient. This problem becomes worse in resettlement colonies where slum dwellers are shifted as per the needs of the government in the name of urban development. Most resettlement colonies in Delhi lack basic amenities like infrastructure, water, electricity, transportation, employment opportunities and health facilities in the vicinity. The problem of the children is compounded in these areas due to lack of proper schools, and playgrounds.

Education being the fundamental right should be easily available to all the people of the community.

MCD Schools

The schools run by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have the principal responsibility with regard to Primary Education in the city of Delhi. There are 6 schools in Old Seema Puri and New Seema Puri, Delhi that are run by the MCD. The economically weaker section depend on these very “MCD Schools” for the education of their children inspite of sad state of affairs of these schools.

A study of the condition and the environment of these schools reveal that:

1. 
   
   A student of such school cannot even read nor write in Hindi properly.
   
   
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   Many of the teachers and other staff employed to teach in these schools can often be found anywhere but in the classroom.
   
   
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   The basic infrastructure is often missing in the classrooms.
   
   
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   A class, with a capacity for 40 to 45 students, has 100 to 125 students, squeezed in it. As a result children spend majority of their time either standing during the class or totally skipping it.

The people who are living in these areas belong to the low income strata of the society therefore they are too busy in trying to earn living for their families and are actually left with no time to get the basic education for themselves nor for their family. They lack awareness about their fundamental rights or the facilities, which they are entitled to from the government.

The government does contribute to the education sector by running MCD schools, some institutions are run by Delhi Govt. and there exists some which are known as Public recognized schools in locality/community.

Public Schools

On the other hand Public Schools are presented as non-profit undertakings. But the guardians of students of such Public Schools have reason to believe otherwise; donation worth lakhs of rupees are demanded along with school fees as building fund, cultural fund etc. An average middle class family aspiring to send their children to such schools has to seriously plan their budget and for the rest of us it’s an unattainable dream.

Approximately 397 schools in Delhi have received land from the Government at extremely subsidized rates on the condition that in return these schools would reserve 25% seats for the children of EWS in their schools, a condition continuously violated. The reasons given for not fulfillment of such conditions are that if such children are allowed to enroll in their school, they will destroy the school’s environment that caters to the needs of the elite class of the society. But the real reason for refusing the admissions to EWS is the drastic reduction in income that these schools make through donations.

State Failure

Apart from the schools, three other parties are guilty of violation of the Constitutional Right to education as well as the terms and conditions for allotting land at concessional rates.

• The Delhi Government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi have failed to ensure that all unaided Recognized Private Schools in Delhi (to which public land had been conditionally allotted) complies with the conditions of allotment of land with regard to admission of the children (25 per cent belonging to the EWS of society and grant free ship to them)

• The Delhi Government has further failed to frame rules or policies regarding provision for education to the children belonging to EWS of society by all Unaided recognized private schools in Delhi.

• The Union of India, Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi were also unable to take action against erring unaided recognized private schools for noncompliance with the conditions on which public lands have been allotted to them.

Problems in Utilizing this EWS Clause:

Pressure groups not available

There exists no autonomous body which can exert pressure on the school authorities in case if they deny admission rights to any aspirant form EWS

Insensitive Decisions by judiciary.

The honorable system of judiciary did take efforts to pass the required directives to provide the basic rather a robust system of education to all the children of society. However unfortunately there exists no mechanism to ensure such availability.

Commercialization of education

The education system in our society has been commercialized so much that it has left behind the requirement of a basic good education being available to all the children of society, instead it has become a commodity to be available for haves' and not with have nots'

In societies like ours where the transparency in the system is yet to develop, the general public must learn how to make use of the right to information and government offices and administration must learn how to share information while safeguarding privacy and national interests. For both sides this requires an increased level of awareness of their rights, duties and obligations.

Proposal

The project, which we propose here; shall be a pilot project and will be carried out in the resettlement and slum clusters of Seema Puri in Delhi. The programme shall cater towards an improved state of living for people and will strive to set an example for other areas to replicate.

Strength of our organization

Pardarshita is a non-profit organization registered since December 2005, founded by activists associated with Parivartan. A separate organization has been formed to focus on setting up resource centers in several low-income areas and enabling education for children from low-income families. The main aim is to fight corruption and ensure transparency and accountability in the Public Governance systems thereby empowering the marginalized sections to improve their life conditions. The goal of this organization is to spread awareness about Right to Information and empower common people to use this awareness and the RTI tool to ensure access to his/her rights and entitlements. Being a active member of Parivartan we took the initiative and started with addressing the difficulties faced by people in dealing with the electricity department and further handled the issues like ration card, sewage, roads, water supply and so on. This was an empowering process – right to information has redefined the relationship between the people and the government.

Advocacy Element

Sustenance of free ship quota. The free ship quota earlier was 25% which had been continuously reduced and now it has reached to as low as 10%. We propose that the respective authorities should review their decision again and if not much this free ship should be revived back to 20% atleast.

Implementation of guidelines of Education Department at the grass root level: the people from EWS are neither educated nor aware of the rights available to them being a citizen of India. Therefore there arises a need to spread awareness in the society for the benefit of such people at large. This shall enable them to seek implementation of the guidelines of the respective authorities in their favour e.g the mid day meal which is provided to the children in schools the parents do not know the quantity and the menu for the same. The menu is not displayed on the board.

Facilities which are being sanctioned by the Govt should be made available to the children e.g a process should be formed to reimburse for the books and uniform to parents by the school authorities.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

Pardarshita shall try to create awareness amongst the common people regarding their rights, duties and obligations being the citizen of India

Pressure groups/Watch groups: Some autonomous bodies should be designated as pressure groups to ensure that all the policies of the policies of the govt are followed not only in the letter but also in the spirit.

Our orgnisation aims to provide the much-needed support to the people living in slums to invoke RTI to use this right to the fullest and establish an effective system of governance. Members of this organization have been engaged in the process for last few years and have been active members of the RTI movement not only in the city but also in the country. The overall objective of this project is to provide a space to the slum communities where they could access information and know-how to use the Right to Information tool.

This tool not only creates awareness amongst the common people but also make govt officials and the community accountable.
Proposed Activities

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  Awareness Camps
  
  
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  Help line Number
  
  
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  Networking and Advocacy with NGOs
  
  
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  Voluntary support by community people
  
  
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  Camps organized in different colonies
  
  
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  Campaign in collaboration with Delhi Government.
  
  

Capacity building activity will focus on developing the understanding of the Community and the NGOs active in the area on accessing information, analyzing the government documents and utilizing the information to assist the admissions/enrollment process. The Capacity building will also focus on the use of Right to Information, studying the information accessed and putting it to use in understanding government processes to complete paper work for school admissions. In 2005 when we started working on EWS clause we were able to admit around 45 children in different schools of northeast district. In next year i.e. 2006 around 150 children were admitted, and in current year more than 400 children were admitted in 4 districts.

Expected Results

• Awareness among the parents, children and the schools.

• Working towards realizing the goal ‘Education for All’.

• Creating a Network with NGOs to formulate a future plan of action and organize opinion to influence policy level intervention.

• It tries to abridge the wide gap that exists between the two sides of Indian society– the haves and the have-nots – the problem of heterogeneity is also taken care.

• We have acted as catalysts in the correction of the system. On one hand the Deputy Director Education, some school principals have become receptive and on the other, there is awareness of the presence of the clause. For AY 2008-09 more parents reached out to the workers on their own to get their children admitted using this clause.

• Myths, that the parents in the EWS do not want to send their children to school and that children from this section cannot perform, have been broken.

• The resistance of the private schools was highlighted.

• Lastly, we have been able to implement the concept of a welfare state as defined in the Constitution of India [8] - a supreme form of correction from the first principles of India.

• The community empowerment will fix up the role of community in improving the conditions prevailing in Education system.

Report on Protest against the MCD Teacher (Shanoo case)

An eleven year old girl child was punished by the MCD teacher and her punishment ends Shanoo’s life. On 16th April Afternoon we received a call from our volunteer from Bawana and he informed that a girl named Shanoo, 11 is very serious. Shanno, a girl student of IInd class studying in MCD School, E-Block, Site-5, J J Colony Bawana, went to school yesterday i.e. 15th April,09, but she failed to do her homework. When her class teacher Mrs. Manju asked about the homework and came to know that Shanno has not done her work, the teacher beat her and made her stand like a cock, put 2-3 bricks on her back for a long time. Suddenly after some time, Shanno got unconscious and fell down on the floor. Her teacher did not pay any attention towards her.

Shanno’s two sisters also study in the same school and when they came to know about this, they immediately rushed home to call their mother. Her mother took her to the hospital. When we came to know about this, we enquired the matter with the local people of Bawana and immediately sent a press release across the media and also to other NGO informing about the incidence.

A letter was also written to the Chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, MCD Commissioner, Police Commissioner, Sh. Vijender Gupta Chairman of Standing Committee (MCD) and Director of Primary education demanding for lodging an FIR against culprit teacher and school principal, for demanding action against the teacher and sensitization of teacher to stop corporal punishment. An appeal was also made appeal to the people and other NGOs through emails for raising voice against such actions of teachers.

The police filed FIR U/s 304 A of IPC against the teacher after a long protest by the community people, but police has not arrested the teacher after four days of Shanoo’s death, therefore all the community people and other organizations of Delhi planned to organize a protest and in front of DCP’s (outer Delhi) office, Pitam Pura, at 11.00am on 21st April, 09 and demanding arrest of Mrs. Manju.

All the people and NGOs came together and raise demand for the arrest of teacher and strict laws against such kind of merciless corporal punishments being given in MCD schools.

A protest was organized on 21st April, 09 with the help of community people and other NGOs; Pahal, Nirmana, Navsrishti, Janwadi Morcha, Kabari Kamgar Union.

Protest at two places was organized; firstly more than 60 people and NGO representatives went to DCP (outer Delhi) office for peaceful protest and with a demand to arrest the guilty teacher.

The DCP met with the people in his office and assured that the teacher will be arrested soon once they get the PM report. He further stated that the investigations are in full swing, the SHO himself is investigating the case and they are enquiring the matter from the community as well as the classmates of Shanoo.

Secondly, a protest was organized at Police Commissioner Head office with a demand to arrest Ms Manju and stop the series of brutally killing series of children in the school. Hundreds of people from the community participated in the peaceful protest. The Jt. Commissioner met the people and he also assured that in inquiry is going on and the teacher will be arrested soon.

We have also met Mrs Shantha Sinha the chairperson of NCPCR regading this matter and also requested to frame some norms regarding protection of Child’s right, demand for trainings to sensitize teachers and arrest of the guilty teacher.

Report on Dharna before Education Director (MCD), August 2009

In the month of July, 2009 Action Aid India, Bawana, organized 15 admission camps at different focal locations and MCD Primary Schools of Bawana. During these camps it was noticed that teachers and Principals of different schools refusing to take admissions and asking several documents like Date of Birth certificate, Address proof, Affidavit etc. while these documents are not necessary for admission in primary school as per departmental guidelines and every child has Right to free and compulsory education under Article 21 A of the constitution.

Therefore we spread awareness among the parents to file complaints against schools who are denying admissions of their child. As a result around 85 complaints were generated and filed before Smt. Premlata Kataria, Education Director (MCD). But after the passing of 15 to 20 days no action was taken by Education Director (MCD) on the complaints. So a dharna was organized before the office of Education Director (Primary Education) at Nigam Bhawan, Kashmere Gate, Delhi to protest on this issue.

On 7th August, 2009 around 50 parents with their children and representatives of Pardarshita, Navjyoti India Foundation, A.V Baliga Trust were gathered and went to Nigam Bhawan to sit on Dharna before Smt. Premlata Kataria, Education Director (MCD).

She denied meeting the aggrieved parents but all parents were rigid to meet with her to ensure admission of their child. Finally Education Director (MCD) ready to meet with parents. She gave a letter to people regarding ensuring admission of every child in MCD primary school and directed the D.E.O, Narela Zone to look this matter directly.

As a result of this protest now MCD Schools of Bawana are not refusing admission to any child and more than 100 children are directly benefited from this Dharna. Out of which 55 are Muslims and 25 are girl children.

 

This issue was discussed in the alliance building meeting also and most of the organizations stated that they are also facing such problems in getting the admission of the child in their respective areas, so during Dharna most of the organizations working in North West Delhi participated and had a positive result.

Pardarshita: Annual Report from April 2007-March 2008

About the organization:
Pardarshita is an organization formed with the aim to fight corruption and ensure transparency and accountability in the public governance systems thereby empowering the marginalized sections of the society and improve their living conditions.
The goal of this organization is to spread awareness about Right to Information and empower common people to use tool to ensure access to his/her rights and entitlements.
Pardarshita works in different slums of East and North East districts of Delhi.
Objectives of the organization:
• To create awareness amongst the community about their rights
• To make the governance more accountable and transparent
• To conduct research on different government run schools
• To motivate the marginalized section of the society to minimize their dependency and create sustainable systems
• To ensure child rights by ensuring right to education
• To form community based groups
Main Activities:
The activities of Pardarshita are mainly focused to deal with problems of the community. The organization has taken up issues based on the need of the people of the community in which they work. Given below are the details of the activities undertaken by Pardarshita in the last one year.
1. Admissions in private /public schools under Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota:
Approximately 361 schools in Delhi have received land from the Delhi Government at extremely subsidized rates on the condition that in return these schools reserve 25% seats for the children of economically weaker sections (EWS) in their schools, a condition continually violated. The reasons given for not fulfilling such conditions are that if such children are allowed to enrol in their schools it will destroy the school’s environment that caters to the needs of the elite of the society. But the real reason for refusing admission to EWS is the drastic reduction in income that these schools make through donations.
Apart from the schools, three other parties are guilty of violation of the Constitutional Right to Education as well as the terms and conditions for allotting land at concessional rates:
• The Delhi Government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi have failed to ensure that all Unaided Recognised Private Schools in Delhi (to whom public land have been conditionally allotted) to comply with the conditions of allotment of lands in regard to admission to the children (25 per cent belonging to the EWS of society and grant freeship to them)
• The Delhi Government has failed to frame rules or policies regarding provision for education to the children belonging to EWS of society by all Unaided Recognized Private schools in Delhi.
The Union of India, Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi have failed to take action against erring unaided recognized private schools for non-compliance with the conditions on which public lands have been allotted to them.
Pardarshita took the issue and did the following:
• The different schools entitled to come under the EWS scheme were identified. Around 31 schools were identified for work, in Dilshad Garden (3 schools), Nandnagari (2 schools ), Preet Vihar (6 schools), Vivek Vihar (3 schools), Mayur Vihar (5 schools), Kalyan Puri (2 schools), Vasundhara Enclave (2 schools) Vinod Nagar (2 schools), Karkardooma (3 schools) and IP Extension (3 schools)
• Right to Information applications were filed to access information on these schools.
• Families from the clusters in and around these schools were identified who could be probable beneficiaries, based on the criterion that the annual income of the family was less than 1 lakh per annum and were interested and eager to get their children admitted in these private/public schools.
• Next, the families were assisted with the process of documentation required for the admission process. This included helping them acquire all the necessary papers, certificates etc.

CHIEF INFORMATION COMMISSIONER SH . WAJAHAD HABBIBULLAH AT THE NGO MEETING HELD AT NEHRU MEMORIAL MUSEUM LIBRARY

Simultaneously, networking was done with other NGOs working in the field of education about admissions in private/public schools under EWS provisions. Different workshops were held with these NGOs and groups to make them aware about the rules and regulations.
• Pardarshita volunteers then accompanied respective parents and children to the schools in the nearby locality, where they often faced rejection from the school authorities.
• This was followed by a long series of running around, where several complaints were filed against the concerned school authorities in the office of The Deputy Director of Education Department.
• Since no action was taken on any of the complaints filed by the aggrieved parents, Right to Information applications were filed asking for the status of these complaints.
• Immediate action was taken on the applications and was followed by admissions in the respective schools.
Outcome:
• Groups of active parents were formed in different areas, which further assisted other desiring parents for consecutive admissions in the respective areas.
• This process also helped in creating awareness amongst the community regarding their rights.
• Awareness was created amongst other NGOs and groups working in the area of education, which helped in spreading the impact of the work.
• Advocacy with the education department facilitated the admissions
Beneficiaries:
Number of admissions in 31 schools: 250
2. Public Distribution System:
The public distribution system (PDS) ensures the distribution of essential items such as selected cereals, sugar and kerosene at subsidized prices to holders of ration cards. The PDS also helps to modulate open - market prices for commodities that are distributed through the system. The Department of Food & Civil Supplies, Govt. of Delhi, manage the PDS in Delhi by enforcing the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and various Control Orders made there under.
However, it is also a known fact that the people across the country face different problems in respect to issues of PDS. Pardarshita started identified PDS as one of the potential problems faced by people in slums of New Seemapuri and Sunder Nagari. The problems faced were:
• People received less ration than what was entitled to them
• The essential commodities given under both BPL and Antodaya card at prices at par with the market price
• In cases were the families could acquire their ration, the shopkeepers cheated them by giving them lesser quantity of ration
• The qualities of the commodities given were found to be very poor.
• Families were often send back by the ration shopkeepers with false reasons that the designated ration had not arrived.
• Cards were not delivered to the entitled families rather they were illegally kept by the ration shopkeepers. These shopkeepers then faked the signatures of the families and siphoned their entitled rations to local markets for vested interests.
Scheme            Rate (Rs)             Quantity (Kg)
                          Wheat    Rice       Wheat    Rice   Sugar                 Kerosene
APL                      6.80       9.00       25          10        NA                    9.5 litres@Rs.9.09
BPL                       4.65       6.15       25          10       6 kg @Rs 13.50  22 litres@Rs.9.09
AAY                      2            3           25          10       6 kg@ Rs 13.50  22 litres@Rs.9.09
Area of work: New Seemapuri and Sundernagari.
No.of household:
The volunteers of Pardarshita undertook the following activities to deal with the problems mentioned:
• Awareness of created amongst the community regarding the
a) entitled quantity of the different commodities
b) types of ration cards
c) price of the different commodities under each type of ration card
d) timings of the ration shops
• The community was made aware about the Right to Information Act, which they could use to ask for records and status of their ration cards.
• Several workshops were held with community people on RTI focusing especially on the problems of PDS. These workshops were held across different districts in Delhi
• Several RTI applications were filed to take out records of ration shops, which helped in exposing the irregularities. RTI applications were also filed to track status of ration cards.
• Continuous advocacy was done with the concerned government departments, ration shopkeepers and community to help in regularise the system.
Outcome:
• The corruption in the whole system of public distribution was revealed
• Community got aware about their rights and entitlements
• Strong community groups were formed, which later helped in creating a watch groups in the community to monitor the proper functioning of the ration shops.
• The ration cards, which were illegally confiscated by the ration shopkeepers, were distributed to the deserving families.
• There was proper monitoring of the ration shops by the concerned Food inspectors
• The quality and quantity of the commodities were improved.
Beneficiaries:
No. of Household:
No. of Ration shops: New Seemapuri: 12 shops, Sundarnagari: 17 shops
No. of Ration cards released: 300 cards approximately
3. Right to Information Workshops:
RTI stands for Right to Information. Right to Information is a part of fundamental rights under Article 19(1) of the Constitution. Article 19 (1) says that every citizen has freedom of speech and expression. As early as in 1976, the Supreme Court said in the case of Raj Narain vs State of UP that people cannot speak or express themselves unless they know. Therefore, right to information is embedded in article 19. In the same case, Supreme Court further said that India is a democracy. People are the masters. Therefore, the masters have a right to know how the governments, meant to serve them, are functioning. Further, every citizen pays taxes. Even a beggar on the street pays tax (in the form of sales tax, excise duty etc) when he buys a piece of soap from the market. The citizens therefore, have a right to know how their money was being spent. The Supreme Court while saying that RTI is a part of our fundamental rights laid down these three principles.
This is because if you went to any Government Department and told the officer there, “RTI is my fundamental right, and that I am the master of this country. Therefore, please show me all your files”, he would not do that. In all probability, he would throw you out of his room. Therefore, we need machinery or a process through which we can exercise this fundamental right. Right to Information Act 2005, which became effective on 13th October 2005, provides that machinery. Therefore, Right to Information Act does not give us any new right. It simply lays down the process on how to apply for information, where to apply, how much fees etc.
Right to Information Act 2005 empowers every citizen to
 Ask any questions from the Government or seek any information
 Take copies of any government documents
 Inspect any government documents.
 Inspect any Government works
 Take samples of materials of any Government work.
Several Right to Information workshops were held in different districts of Delhi and other States. The following workshops were held:
• Two days workshop on RTI with employees and volunteers of CFAR, Jaipur
• Four days workshop on RTI with employees and community people across eight districts with SCRIA, Haryana
• Five days workshop on RTI with different organisations like Pani and others in Eastern Uttar Pradesh
• Conducted RTI workshops for different government departments like Narcotics, Central Exercise and Customs in Delhi, Jaipur and Chandigrah. Similar workshops were also held with District Administration of Sitapur and Hardoi districts of Western U.P.
• Conducted RTI workshop for Assam Administrative Staff in Guwahati.
• Similar workshops and training programs on RTI were also held with various grassroots and other organisations across the country.
4. Monitoring of MCD Schools:
The status of schools run by Municipal Corporation of Delhi is deteriorating with the passage of time. The different problems that plague these schools are:
Inadequate infrastructure in government schools -
(a) Lack of basic amenities
(b) Tin classrooms for the students – inhuman and barbaric
(c) New school buildings being constructed without the basic facilities like ramps and special toilets for the children and teachers with disabilities
(d) Sub-standard construction of school buildings
(e) DDA not providing land to government for new schools
(f) Supply of contaminated drinking water to the children in schools
Several complaints regarding irregularities in the MCD schools were brought into notice of Pardarshita volunteers, from the community. Acting on this the Pardarshita intervened into the issue. Pardarshita has worked in 5 MCD schools in Sundernagari (1school), Seemapuri (2 schools), Nandnagari (1 school), and Dilshad Colony (1 school). The following activities were undertaken:
• Regular monitoring of schools on :
a) infrastructure
b) electricity
c) drinking water
d) midday meal quality checked
e) cleanliness and basic hygiene of schools and surroundings
• Involved communities and formed watch groups of parents of children
• Admissions of children in MCD schools were facilitated in different areas of East Delhi
• Assisted people in the process of the admission when authorities created difficulties for parents
Outcome:
• Motivated watch groups among communities were formed who kept constant vigil on different activities of these schools.
• Electricity connections were reinstalled in these schools. Fans and lights were installed.
• The basic infrastructures of the schools were improved. The ceilings of the school buildings were repaired.
• The quality and quantity of the Midday meals were improved and regularised.

Report on condition of MCD school in New Seemapuri

We would like to start this report by thanking the government for all its efforts made in the direction of providing the nation’s children with the opportunities and infrastructure for education. However we would like to take this report a step further, by asking a question: Is it enough to only give the opportunities and provide the infrastructure, or is it essential to justify this provision and the resources spent on it by continual follow up and ensuring not just delivery of but also compliance with the services??

The ground reality is right here. A recent visit to an M.C.D school in New Seemapuri, Shahadra North zone, revealed a heart rending truth. We entered the school expecting to see our country’s future hard at work, battling its innocent wits with the formidable magnitude of knowledge set to be achieved. But what we actually saw was far from what this institution was set up to accomplish.

At a modest budget of rupees 1.1 crores; a new building was set up in 2007-08, to become a fully functional institute of learning. This building was complete with class rooms, toilet for students, provision for drinking water and a table tennis room. While all of these facilities still exist, none of them are available or of use to the students.

Condition of toilets: The only existing toilet for the students is always locked, leaving the students with no choice except to relieve themselves in the unlikeliest of places. The very class rooms for study, the temples of knowledge, have turned into lavatories. The marks on the wall and pools of urine on the floor are a ghastly reality check of the inconvenience faced by the little children.

Drinking water facilities: In the hottest of summer days, the children have no way to satisfy their thirst since drinking water is not accessible. Due to the fear of taps being stolen, the staff has permanently sealed the room with provision of drinking water. Moreover, they have removed the taps and inserted wooden planks instead, to completely do away with the water supply. As a result, any child who requires water has to go home to satiate his need, only to suit the teacher’s objectives very well, as no child usually returns home once he’s gone home.

Lack of interest from teachers: During full school hours, we were greeted by children of the school in the play ground. The only problem was that it was not their P.T. period, and there was not a single teacher in sight to supervise their activities. This gathering of students outside the classes was a result of absence of teachers from the classroom during regular class periods. A dearth of teachers results in none of the scheduled classes being held. The school has 25 class rooms with a minimum of 70-80 students in each class (a total of about 1,800 children in the schools), whereas there are only 13–14 teachers for the entire school. These teachers seem to give more importance in amassing knowledge themselves, and can be often found preparing for courses they have enrolled for or reading other entertainment material. When questioned, they have lost interest in teaching as the number of children per class is too much for them to indulge in any effective knowledge sharing.

Illegal activities in the old building: The old building that exists still is being judiciously used by the illegal miscreants, who can slip in and out of the school complex unnoticed and unchecked. Using the vacant class rooms as their base, they shamelessly indulge in gambling, drug, tobacco and alcohol abuse, and other activities which the children of the school, at their tender age, should not be exposed to. You can see bunches of people, some students as well, huddled together engrossed in a game of cards, underage smoking and drug abuse. This building has turned into a public urinal of sorts and the marks on the walls relay this fact. Just about a month ago, a dead body was discovered in the toilet block of this old building. The death was attributed to consumption of SMACK. Such instances further add to the grim environment at school. Some parts of the block have been demolished since then, but are still home to the above activities.

Unsafe conditions at the new building: The new building sure seems to offer a better environment for education as compared to the old one. But the insides tell a different story altogether. The unhygienic conditions created by helpless students urinating in the classrooms are sure shot sources of diseases. Other unsafe factors too endanger the lives of the students. Naked wires hanging along the stairs and protruding through the walls is a hazard in itself. There is high possibility of unsuspecting students to touch the wires and get electrocuted.

Irresponsible behavior on the part of the Headmaster: If the absence of safety, law, order, discipline and education on the whole wasn’t enough, the head master has been adding to the woes of expectant parents by refusing admission to their wards. The head master of the school retired on April 30, 2008. Since his retirement was on the anvil, he refused to grant admissions to the students for the new term and has deferred all cases to the time the new head master comes in. This claim is supported by the fact that there has not been a single student admitted into classes 2nd to the 5th since the beginning of this term.

The story above is of a single MCD school visited. There will be hundreds of more that have escaped any such notice. Our efforts have always been and will be in the direction of helping people with their rights, helping people claim what has been promised to them and helping people to fight for what their deserve. The intention is to give them access to provisions that would make a better tomorrow and not to encourage them to make unreasonable demands. Our dilemma lies in the situation where the supplier promises but fails to deliver. It is the promise that sets us to work. Very simply put, if there were no such promises, these would be mere content people and if promises existed but no consequent breaches, organizations like ours would have no business. But we alone, although strong enough, are not sufficient to fulfill this objective. The support of the government inevitable. We would request you to come forward support our endeavor to make it better tomorrow.

Note: This report was presented to the Department of Education and appropriate action has been initiated on this front.