The Delhi Government’s Education department faced a backlash from the Delhi High Court on April 8, in a hearing when the Court expressed strong dissatisfaction regarding the dire state of infrastructure and essential amenities in government schools situated in the Northeast district. The court’s scathing assessment, prompted by a report submitted by advocate Ashok Agarwal on behalf of NGO ‘Social Jurist, A Civil Rights Group,’ has shed light on systemic failures within the Education Department, sparking outrage and calls for accountability.
The court presided over by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora showed concerns over the horrific conditions of these educational institutions. The report highlighted several shortcomings, including the absence of adequate textbooks, furniture as well as basic infrastructure in numerous schools including GGSSS Khajoori Khas, SKV C-1 Yamuna Vihar, GGSSS East Gokal Pur, and others. These schools, as mentioned in the report, are struggling with overcrowded classrooms, broken desks, and merged class sections due to a severe shortage of space and enormous facilities.
Furthermore, the court underscored the importance of accountability within the Education department and urged the Secretary to identify and take action against officials who are responsible for this type of negligence in the schools. The Court emphasised the fundamental right of every student to access quality education. It called for immediate steps to enhance the learning environment in the affected schools.
They drew attention to the correlation between dysfunctional schools and the overcrowding of Delhi jails, citing the example of Tihar’s capacity being exceeded by a large margin due to societal problems stemming from inadequate education. Judges asked the Education department to quickly give things that schools need, like books, desks, and more classrooms so that students feel good about going to school again.
The judges ordered the Secretary of Education to promise that they would quickly make things better in the schools. They said there’s enough money to do it and that every student will get the things they need, like books and desks. They asked the Secretary to give a detailed report about what they’ll do to fix the problems. Also, the Secretary has to find out who’s responsible for not doing their job properly. The court wants this report within a week. The next hearing will be on April 23, 2024.
Agarwal highlighted problems in schools like GGSSS Bhajanpura which is an aging tin school where both girls and boys, totaling 1,800 each, attend classes in two shifts. However, numerous desks are broken. Similarly, at SKV C-1 Block Yamuna Vihar which runs in two shifts, approximately 5,000 to 6,000 girls study in the morning, alongside a nearly equal number of boys in the afternoon. Because of space constraints, two sections are merged because of which students have to share a single classroom.
The Secretary of Education who was also present during the court proceedings acknowledged these shortfalls which were outlined in the report and assured the court that swift remedial action would be taken. However, the bench expressed concern over the lack of proactive measures taken by senior officials to address these issues. It warned the Education Department for its failure to prioritise the well-being of students and emphasised the need for tangible improvements on an urgent basis.
The bench emphasised that there is a need for routine maintenance and repair of broken furniture in school classrooms, stressing that these issues had persisted over time and were not recent occurrences. The court demanded a comprehensive timeline for the implementation of necessary improvements in each of the schools mentioned in the report. The proceedings underscored the urgent need for systemic reforms and heightened accountability to ensure the delivery of quality education to every child in Delhi.
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