Latest news with #Urdu-medium
Indian Express
14-07-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Poor infra, inadequate staff: Urdu-medium MCD schools in Old Delhi grapple with myriad issues
Walls with paint chipping off, wires hanging outside windows, sparking safety concerns, only two small classrooms for over 100 students and one teacher's cabin — it does not take a hard look at this Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)-run Urdu medium school in Bulbuli Khana in Old Delhi's Sita Ram Bazar to gauge the poor infrastructure. It is one of the four Urdu-medium schools in the area, reeling under similar conditions. In one of the classrooms, students from different grades sit on their designated benches. Rows one and two are marked for first and second-grade students, while the third row is for nursery and kindergarten students. 'I give the assignment to students from lower grades in their notebooks. I have to divide the blackboard and teach them,' said a staff member. Apart from inadequate infrastructure, the school also suffers from staff shortage. There is no principal — a teacher and a special educator are compelled to cater to all the students and handle administrative tasks. 'I'm teaching every subject from nursery to the third grade. I'm also responsible for maintaining attendance, preparing monthly status reports, managing mid-day meals, and handling the IT desk….and I don't get paid for all that,' the staff member added. Poor pupil-to-teacher (PTR) ratio is an issue prevailing across schools in the Sita Ram Bazar ward. A few lanes away, in Lambi Gali, another school is grappling with a shortage of Urdu teachers. 'The teachers for Urdu are hired on a contract basis. The last hiring for a permanent teacher was done in 2016, but that was for Hindi teachers, and they are unable to teach Urdu,' said a staff member. The lack of Urdu teachers has taken a toll on the performance of the students. 'They can't teach higher classes, because the books are in Urdu, and the overall result gets affected,' a source added. Parents, too, are unhappy. A mother of a boy enrolled in Class 3 said, 'I teach him at home and can figure out that he is struggling to read and write Urdu.' While the textbooks are in Urdu, she said, the worksheets are in Hindi, because of which the student gets confused. 'It's hard to translate, neither is he getting fluent in Hindi nor Urdu.' Responding to this, a teacher said, 'We try and translate as much material into Urdu as possible, but due to a shortage of staff, it gets difficult.' The mother of another Class 3 student echoed similar concerns. 'It becomes difficult to teach at home, since he is not learning much here.' Meanwhile, an Urdu teacher alleged that the MCD has neither regularised staff nor has it released vacancies since 2010. 'If there is a shortage, why don't they issue vacancies or regularise the temporary staff?' the teacher questioned. The school, with a strength of 450 students, employs only seven teachers. This does not comply with the RTE Act, 2009, which specifies a pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) of 30:1 for primary schools. An MCD official said, 'Earlier, we had sent a demand for primary teachers to the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB), but the recruitment could not happen. Now the same is being reassessed via PTR. The present PTR of schools must be outdated, and so now the student attendance till August 30 will be taken, and the fresh PTR will be calculated then.' The only two teachers at the school in Kucha Pandit are trying to find a solution to another challenge. With the school-in-charge retiring next month and the other teacher set to take a six-month leave, who will teach the children? 'Only two of us are here. I don't know who will be coming to teach these 105 children now. Maybe the special educator will take over. During Covid-19, I ran the school alone,' the in-charge said. 'English medium teachers are transferred here, how will they teach?' a teacher questioned. Apart from understaffing, the teachers are navigating safety concerns stemming from poor infrastructure at the school. Few classrooms are now being used as storerooms, owing to water seeping from the worn-out roofs. 'The schools are run in old havelis, and houses are coming up around the schools. We have raised complaints about this. Sometimes the washrooms of a few houses are located just above the classrooms, and so there is water seepage, making it unsafe,' the teacher said. The situation is no different at the MCD school in Bhojla Pahari. A few years ago, a part of the school was declared unsafe, citing seepage and cracks, restricting student movement. The cramped space forced the Principal to take classes in her cabin. 'We manage to run all the classes from nursery to the fifth grade in a few rooms and the Principal's cabin, because no repair work has been started yet. The classes have very weak roofs,' said a source. Ward councillor and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Rafia Mahir said she recently raised these issues in the first meeting of MCD's standing committee. However, she added, the civic body maintained that repair work cannot be undertaken because the space is compact, and therefore, a fire NOC could also not be issued. Underlining how grave the issue of understaffing is, the Councillor underlined that out of 11 schools in her ward, six have been shut as new Urdu teachers have not been hired in the last fifteen years. 'No student survey has been conducted in the last 4-5 years…The authorities just keep on shutting schools, citing poor enrollment,' Mahir added. As per officials in the finance department, MCD allotted 9.83 % of its total budget, amounting to Rs 1,693.7 crore, for 1,514 schools run by the civic body. This is against the 10.45% allocated last year. Meanwhile, a grant of Rs 2,234 crore has been received from the Delhi government for the current year. This money is used for paying salaries, capital expenditure, and the procurement of textbooks, uniforms, and other educational materials.
Indian Express
28-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Almirahs as ‘walls', 2 shifts: In Mumbai school, Classes 1-8 students are in one hall since 2022
For the students of a civic body-run Marathi-medium school in Mumbai's Mankhurd, the biggest concern since 2022 has been the long walk home. Never mind that nearly 100 of them have been 'temporarily' crammed inside one big multipurpose hall — with steel almirahs serving as 'walls' instead of partitions — for almost three years now. A recent video shot by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Ravi Gawas inside the hall brought the issue to light. Under this makeshift arrangement, the students of Mankhurd Marathi-Medium School No 1 have been studying in shifts inside a 1,000-square-foot hall on the sixth floor of the Maharashtra Nagar BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) School, also in Mankhurd. While the morning shift comprises 87 students of Classes 6-8, around 100 students of Classes 1-5 study in the same space in the afternoon. Completed in 2020, the six-floor Maharashtra Nagar BMC School was built under the civic body's new brand name for its schools — Mumbai Public School (MPS). The English-medium school was completed in 2020. Its top-floor hall, originally designed for school functions and events, has been doubling as a makeshift school space since 2022. Mumbai Public Schools offer free education, along with 27 essential items, including uniforms, textbooks, shoes, raincoats, and a mid-day meal. Before moving to their new address, the students of the Marathi-medium school and those from four others — Marathi-medium school no 2, Hindi-medium, Urdu-medium and lower primary school — studied in the same BMC school building near Mankhurd railway station. Declared 'dilapidated', the building was demolished in 2022. Its reconstruction is yet to start. After the demolition, students from all five schools were moved to the Maharashtra Nagar School. While the Hindi-medium students were shifted to the Deonar BMC School, around 4 km away, a year later, four schools continue to function out of the Maharashtra Nagar School building. Three of these four schools have been allotted one floor each at their new address, giving them enough space to conduct separate classes. However, the Marathi-medium school, given its relatively low enrollment, has had to make do with the multipurpose hall, where even the stage serves as a 'separate' classroom. Despite attempts, The Indian Express was denied entry inside the school by the administration. As he exited the premises after the morning shift, a Class 6 student of the Marathi-medium school told The Indian Express, 'My class is near the main door of the hall. My class has three rows — two for boys and one for girls. A few cupboards separate us from Class 8. Students of Class 7 sit on the stage area.' To a question on whether their sixth-floor arrangements caused confusion or distractions during lessons, a group of students walking home after school paused, looked at each other and shrugged. 'Not really. Each class is focused on its own lessons,' said one. Another student chimed in, 'You can hear bits from the other classes, but if you're paying attention to your teacher, it's fine.' However, both parents and students had one complaint — the distance. The Maharashtra Nagar School is located nearly 3 km from their Mankhurd Gaon homes, while the now-demolished school was barely two minutes away for most. Though parents acknowledged this inconvenience, most were hesitant to speak out against the administration. One parent said, 'I am scared that my child will face the consequences at school if I say something. All of us feel that this temporary arrangement is better than opting for a private school, something that most of us cannot afford.' A parent who had come to drop off her child, a student of the primary school at the now-demolished building, said, 'My sister's children studied there (at the demolished school) and praised its teachers. That is why I got my child enrolled there. While the current situation is not ideal, we know it's temporary.' MNS leader Gawas, who shot the viral video, says he has submitted a formal complaint to the BMC's Education Department and the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. He said, 'Just because education is free, should children be crammed into a hall? What's the point of free education if there aren't enough classrooms?' Calling the delay in the reconstruction of their school building a 'violation' of their right to education, he added, 'The situation raises serious questions about the BMC's intent to rebuild these schools, especially since the old building was in a prime location.' Taking cognizance of the issue, the BMC's Education Department had sought a review report from local officers. The report states that 87 children attend classes in the morning session and around 100 children in the afternoon session in the same hall. Education Officer Rajesh Kankal said, 'The hall can accommodate 300 persons at a time, which means the students have not been crammed inside. The school also has an adequate number of teachers. It was supposed to get real partitions, which never happened. Wooden partitions to separate the classes will be provided on priority.' Calling this a 'temporary arrangement', he added, 'Another BMC school is almost ready for handover in the locality. Some of these schools will be relocated there soon, reducing the number of schools housed in the Maharashtra Nagar BMC school building.' To a question on the status of the original building at Mankhurd Gaon, he said it will have to be reviewed. 'The relocation of the school is a cyclic process since some buildings require heavy repair works or complete restructuring,' he said.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Kalyan-Dombivli municipal corporation (KDMC) to convert 5 Marathi schools into semi-English medium; aims to improve access amid rising demand
Responding to the growing demand for English-medium education, the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation will convert five of its schools into semi-English institutions KALYAN: With demand for English-medium schools, the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has decided to convert five out of its 61 schools—including 55 Marathi-medium schools—into semi-English medium institutions. In these selected schools, Mathematics, English, and Science will now be taught in English. KDMC Commissioner Abhinav Goel stated at a press conference that the civic body has renovated all its schools this year. The upgrades include repairs to school buildings, painting, replacement of damaged benches, and other facility improvements. He further added that around eight schools were completely renovated and newly equipped. Additionally, KDMC has made arrangements to distribute books, bags, and raincoats to students on time as the academic year begins. KDMC's Deputy Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Jadhav mentioned that out of the total 61 schools, two are Urdu-medium, one Hindi-medium, and one Tamil-medium. The remaining are Marathi-medium schools attended by children from economically weaker families who cannot afford private education. Considering the rising preference for English-medium education, KDMC has decided to convert one school each in Titwala, Kalyan East, Kalyan West, and Dombivli East and West into semi-English schools. To support this change, KDMC's education department has appointed its best teachers to these schools. This initiative aims to help underprivileged parents provide English education to their children without the financial burden of private schooling, while continuing to support Marathi as a medium of instruction.
New Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
CM Siddaramaiah accuses BJP of spreading lies on funds for Urdu
BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of spreading a false narrative that the State Government was neglecting Kannada and giving more funds to Urdu. This is not just far from the truth, it is a deliberate attempt to create communal tension, the Chief Minister said. Siddaramaiah said that for 2025-26, the State Government has allocated Rs 34,438 crore to the Department of Primary and Secondary Education and Rs 4,150 crore to schools under the Social Welfare and other departments. 'A total of Rs 38,688 crore, all meant for Kannada-medium education. In addition, Rs 999.3 crore has been set aside to maintain government schools and improve infrastructure,' he said, adding that all this money supports Kannada education. 'So when BJP claims that only Rs 32 crore is given to Kannada, it is clearly a political lie meant to mislead the people,' Siddaramaiah added. 'As for the Rs 100 crore given under the Minority Welfare Department - this is for upgrading Urdu-medium schools with better classrooms, teachers, textbooks, and infrastructure. This is not just for language, but for the overall improvement of schools that serve a large number of students,' the CM elaborated.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
BJP's narrative on Rs 100 crore grant for Urdu is misleading, communal: Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru: Chief minister Tuesday hit back at over its criticism of the govt's allocation of Rs 100 crore to foster Urdu, accusing the opposition party of deliberately stoking communal tension. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now BJP had criticised the move, ridiculing Congress with posters and memes that were widely shared on social media. Clarifying the intent behind the allocation, Siddaramaiah, said: "Rs 100 crore is to upgrade Urdu-medium schools with better classrooms, teachers, textbooks, and infrastructure. This is not just for language, but for the overall improvement of schools that serve many students. We demand that BJP immediately issue a public clarification and apologise to the people of the state for this dangerous and divisive propaganda. " He lashed out at BJP for linking the grant to religious appeasement. "This is a deliberate attempt to incite communal tension," he said. Emphasising that no language should be reduced to a religious or caste identity, Siddaramaiah said, "Linking a language to a particular caste or religion is disrespectful to that language," and added, "the Karnataka govt respects all languages of the state." He pointed out that his govt supports multiple regional languages through dedicated academies. "That is why we have separate academies for Tulu, Konkani, Kodava, Byari, and Arebhashe, each of which gets a grant of Rs 80 lakh a year, plus extra funding for cultural activities," he said. Rejecting BJP's allegation that Kannada is being sidelined, Siddaramaiah said, "They are spreading a false narrative that the state govt is neglecting Kannada and giving more funds to Urdu. This is not just far from the truth — it is a deliberate attempt to create communal tension. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It is unfortunate that a national party is acting like irresponsible internet trolls and spreading such baseless lies." To underline the govt's support for Kannada, Siddaramaiah listed major allocations, saying: "For 2025-26, the govt has allocated Rs 34,438 crore to the department of primary and secondary education; Rs 4,150 crore to schools under the social welfare and other departments. That's a total of Rs 38,688 crore. All meant for Kannada-medium education. In addition, Rs 999.3 crore has been set aside to maintain govt schools and improve infrastructure. All of this is to support Kannada education. So, when BJP claims that only Rs 32 crore is given to Kannada, it is clearly a political lie meant to mislead the people." Siddaramaiah also highlighted institutional support for Kannada through a dedicated department. "For Kannada, the govt has a dedicated department of Kannada and culture, which runs 14 academies, three authorities, and 24 trusts named after Kannada writers," he said. "They work to promote the Kannada language, literature, and heritage. For Congress, Kannada is not just a language, it is our identity, pride, and mother tongue. Our govt has always stood firmly for Kannada, for Karnataka, and for our people. We will never compromise on protecting our land, water, or language. And we will never tolerate disrespect towards our culture."
