Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's education administration department has proposed on Monday that 35 of the civic body-run schools that are shut due to less number of students be given to private organizations. They will be run under 'Public People Participation Program'. However, BMC's education committee members have raised some issues and asked the changes in proposal before finalising it.

The BMC education department has proposed to give their 35 schools that are shut due to less number of students to private organisations to run. The organisation can have their own staff and teachers, but the caretaker and principal of the school will be of BMC. The organisation can open school under any board where free education will be given to students coming from economically weaker section through CSR activities.

However, it is not cleare if the students who are not from EWS will be charged in these schools. Some of the selection criteria for these private organisations are such that their turnover should be around 5 crore and that they should be able to pay salaries to their own staff.

Mahesh Palkar, education officer of BMC, said, "This is like a Private Public Partnership policy only , but little changes have been made. The schools that have shut down will be handed over to the private organisations to run schools through CSR activities. No students should be charged fees and any board can be started in those schools. First preference should be given to the students of BMC. With a joint venture with company, these organisations can run schools but should have turn over of Rs5 crore is one of the criteria. After finalising with changes asked by education committee of BMC, the advertisement will be done online to invite private organizations."

Sainath Durge, Shivsena BMC education committee member, said, "In the selection committee, BMC education committee chairperson is not included. Likewise, in the evaluation committee, also BMC education committee chairperson is not included.

Infact, in the whole process of allocating schools to private trust, BMC education committee is no where or completely bypassed.

In the rules and regulations: head, there should be mention that commercial use of BMC school property will not be allowed like renting halls, ground or premises which BMC education administrative department have failed.

During evaluation if the school doesn't perform upto 50% marking, what action will be taken on private trust is not mentioned.

Incase, the private trust fails to generate the funds and not pay salaries of teachers and unable to run the schools, in the middle of the education year, what action shall be taken not mentioned in this policy. I have suggested to take security deposit amount to overcome such situations to BMC education department. Also if school will be of other board, it is not clear whether students who are not from EWS will be charged by the school."

"I strongly raised voice in today's BMC education committee meeting that not to pass this policy in hurry and refer back. Need to include above important aspects, as once the schools are allocated to private trust, we will loose the control and there is definite chances of schools to be utilized for commercial purposes or profit making as we see, what is happening in private schools in mumbai." Durge further added.

Ghanashyam Sonar , convener of the Saman Shikshan Mulbhut Adhikar Samiti said that the move of the corporation will create disparities. " The corporation wants to only allow these 35 schools to be run by private entities which would be an injustice to the other schools. Also at a point when 714 schools of the corporation that run till class VII do not have class VII to IX, this move is unjustified and would lead to sheer privatization of public schools as those companies which adopt them would have their own interests"

EDU PUSH

Organisation can open schools under any board where free education will be given to students coming from the economically weaker sections through CSR activities.