NEW DELHI: While the MCD-run schools in the city are always on the radar for not being able to provide adequate facilities to the kids such as filtered water to drink or proper infrastructure, the Rotarians and other non-governmental organizations are coming forward to help these schools come out of cash-strapped situations. Recently the Rotary International and Residents Welfare Association (RWA) of East of Kailash in a bid to support one of the government schools provided 27 tablets, 100 smart desks, water filter coolers and hand wash stations for the Children with Special Needs (CWSN).
Appreciating the efforts, the Deputy Commissioner of the Central zone, Danish Ashraf said, “We are putting in small efforts to help MCD-run schools. ”Similarly the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) provided 200 dual benches and painted the school buildings of an MCD school in the Molarband area. According to the senior officials, the students were happy to finally have proper benches to sit.
One of the Rotarians, Narinder said, “We work for all causes and come out to help schools having poor amenities. Recently we offered water filter coolers, hand washing stations, double desks etc in an MCD School in B Block in East of Kailash.”
Most of the MCD schools in Delhi have been struggling with the financial crisis with half of them not even having proper chairs to sit in. The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) has been raising issues such as unavailability of proper drinking water, wash basins and unkempt campus for many months but has got no response.
The MCD officials however said that they are cash strapped and need funds to fulfil the basic requirements of the schools. The team of the Delhi Commission for Women had also recently visited MCD-run schools at Aruna Nagar, Kewal Park, Mustafabad and Bhati Mines.
The teams inspected the school buildings and interacted with students, teachers and other staff. They said students were forced to sit under tin shade during heatwaves, some classrooms did not have seating arrangements and children were made to sit on mats. Most of the desks were broken with nails jutting out of the wood, which could hurt the students, the commission said.