BMC schools lack basic facilities

Updated on: Friday, February 03, 2012

The Right to Education Act has surely brought relief to many children, but a recent survey of the state of municipal schools in Mumbai has shed light on glaring loopholes in the implementation of the Act. Be it provision of basic infrastructure or sanitation facilities for students in civic schools, the survey found out the problems faced by a majority of BMC schools in the city.

Child Rights and You (CRY) conducted a survey on 52 BMC-run schools in the city and focused primarily on the quality of education provided to students. Library and computer facilities were missing in most of the schools and 73% of the schools didn’t even have a library in place. “While drinking water is available in schools, there were no purifiers in 55% schools and 50% of these schools didn’t even have proper toilet facilities for the children,” said Priya Rabadi, a member of CRY. She said bus facilities were not provided in 95% of these schools and there were absolutely no provisions like ramps or lifts for the physically handicapped/ challenged students.

The study pointed out a significant delay in the distribution of the 27 items that each of the students studying in a civic school is entitled to. “While a majority of civic schools don’t even get all of these 27 items, we were surprised that these 52 schools were providing children with all the items. However, if a student receives a raincoat two months after the rainy season begins, it does not serve the purpose,” Rabadi said. She said a majority of these schools are only up to Class VII, forcing students to drop out or travel far from their homes for further education.

BMC schools lack basic facilities

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