NEW DELHI: Despite allocating 22.9 per cent of the total annual budget of `46,600 crore, the Aam Aadmi Party government has failed to turn around the education system in the city.
The state government operates around 1,011 schools, which have vacancies of thousands of teachers. Shockingly, around 80 per cent of these schools do not have principals.
Under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the pupil-teacher ratio was set at 40:1, but in Delhi it is 100:1. Deputy CM and Education Minister Manish Sisodia organised parent-teacher meetings which got appreciation from all quarters but he has not taken any concrete steps to fill the vacancies in the government schools. This is despite the state’s education budget of `10,690 crore.
Senior lawyer and Right to Education activist Ashok Agarwal told The Sunday Standard that the lack of teachers in schools results in depriving the students of their fundamental right to receive quality education.
“As many as 15,40,691 students are studying in 1,011 schools run by the Delhi government, and more than 50 per cent of the teacher posts are vacant. How can you expect quality education in this state of affairs?” he said. Agarwal has knocked on the doors of the High Court and the matter will be heard on October 4.