Aware that routine inspections by non-government organisations and citizens of its schools, on the orders of the Central Information Commission, would lift the lid off their poor upkeep, the Directorate of Education has issued instructions to all its schools not to allow any such inspections.
In an order issued on October 28, Additional Director of Education (Schools) Dr. Sunita Kaushik has written to the heads of all government schools that “they shall issue proper instructions to the security guards/chowkidars on gate duty that no outsider without permission of the Principal is allowed to enter the school”.
The order also clearly “clarified that no inspection of the infrastructure facilities has been ordered by any authority and any NGO or any other person is not to be allowed to carry out any inspection or interaction without the prior authorisation of the Department.”
Incidentally, just two days after this order, at least 12 schools in East Delhi, South Delhi and Central Delhi refused permission to Joint Operation for Social Help (JOSH), which had filed a complaint with the Central Information Commission about the state of schools in Delhi, to carry out inspection of their premises.
Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi had in July this year directed all the Delhi Government schools to make available all records and documents pertaining to admission, attendance, budget allocation and expenditure, details of scholarships and other registers in the school for inspection by citizens.
When contacted about the recent developments, he said, the Directorate of Education order clearly shows “how much these people really care for the rule of law”. In fact, he pointed out, the decision to allow inspection of the schools was taken in consultation with senior officials of the department and even the need for the inspections and the decision on their timing – planned between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the last working day of each month -- was deliberated at length.
The Department had subsequently also submitted a compliance report with the CIC stating that all the Deputy Directors of Education have been told to make available for inspection by citizens, as directed by the CIC.
“Complete lack of hygiene”
On September 30, an inspection of 60 schools – most of them located in East Delhi and Chandni Chowk parliamentary constituencies – by over 15 organisations under the Delhi Right to Education Forum revealed “complete lack of hygiene” in most of them.
During the inspection, the Forum found that there was “complete lack of hygiene facilities in the schools”. It said “most of the schools lacked adequate sweepers” and thereby had “very few functional toilets” despite having over 2,500 children.
The findings were disturbing to say the least as they also pointed out “enormous delay in distribution of the text books”, late release of “scholarships due for the academic session of 2009-2010'', and about lack of playgrounds and sports equipment and teachers in many of the schools.
