14 February,2011 07:18 AM IST | | Kranti Vibhute
Volunteers to teach students while teachers are on a 20-day head-counting exercise
Around 1,180 BMC-run schools, which were supposed to be closed from today for Census duty, will now remain open, courtesy voluntary organisations that have offered to teach students.
NGO volunteers will help students complete their syllabus on time
The NGOs had requested the BMC to hand over the schools to them till March 5 when the head counting exercise ends so that their studies do not get disrupted.
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The civic body too readily agreed to this novel proposal. The BMC-run schools, which will officially remain closed for 20 days, will be turned into study centres.
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The NGOs are requesting parents to send their wards to schools during the period to ensue that their syllabus gets completed on time.
A BMC official said, "This a welcome move. When the NGOs are willing to help, then why should we hesitate? Though the schools will be officially closed, we have given permission to the NGOs to use the premises as study centres. We have asked them to call a parents' meet in the school and inform them about the move."
While the BMC has lauded the initiative of the NGOs, a few academicians are skeptical about the feasibility of the move.
A social worker from a city NGO said, "The NGOs who have taken the schools are only teaching in English-medium schools of BMC.
But, the students of other mediums in the civic body-run schools are going to suffer as there are very few NGOs interested in teaching them."
This apart, the NGO initiative does not cover aided and unaided private primary schools whose teachers have also been assigned for Census duty.
Francis Swamy, principal of Holy Family High School, Andheri, said, "The announcement of shutting the primary section for Census work is also applicable to aided and unaided private schools.
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It will badly affect our primary section. We have no idea how many teachers will be able to complete their syllabus and conduct school level examinations."
BMC education officer Abasaheb Jadhav said, "It's a good thing that some NGOs are coming forward to help our students when our teachers are out for Census duty.
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I would appreciate it if more NGOs show interest in teaching students of vernacular medium schools.
