Mumbai, Jan 08: Ahead of the election, MahaMumbai Shikshan Sanstha Sangathan (MMSSS) released a children’s manifesto that highlighted the issues that plagued civic schools, which led to their decline.
Education stakeholders lacked platform
As the elections will be held after almost five years, education stakeholders did not have an adequate platform to raise their concerns. The manifesto brought clarity on the requirements of the education community to keep civic schools up and running.
13-point manifesto reflects children’s voices
The exhaustive 13-point manifesto covered all aspects, from policy changes to administrative changes to be brought about in the system, and included children’s voices, who raised their concerns without hesitation.
Students raise basic infrastructure demands
Students studying in civic schools gathered at Mankhurd with Jan Jagruti Manch, a social organisation that works for the betterment of education, to urge authorities to provide clean drinking water, better sanitation on school premises, a cap on rising school fees, and the availability of proper educational materials.
“We complied with the requirements of the students and created a children’s manifesto,” said Sadanand Raorane, president of MMSSS. Children spoke of broken school benches, overcrowded classrooms, a shortage of teachers, a lack of a conducive environment for studies, issues with proper transport, and inadequate safety within school premises.
Opposition to private agencies in PPP schools
Furthermore, the MMSSS manifesto also put forth requirements to keep BMC schools functioning. It demanded that schools allotted under public-private partnerships should not be handed over to external private agencies.
“Once the schools are under external agencies, commercial exploitation begins, and students who cannot afford them are left to suffer,” said Raorane. Instead, old, experienced, and quality Marathi educational institutions should be allotted land or buildings on lease at concessional rates, with priority given to economically weaker sections.
Call for qualified teachers and counsellors
The manifesto stated that, in accordance with National Education Policy (NEP) guidelines, the government should ensure the availability of qualified teachers for subjects such as arts, sports, music, and computer education in all schools. The appointment and approval of a qualified counsellor in every school should be made mandatory, keeping in view the academic, emotional, and psychological needs of students.
Relief sought for minority schools
For minority schools, the manifesto sought relaxation in paperwork, citing a lack of adequate staff and the burden of annual reviews.
“The repeated and mandatory review process imposed on minority-status schools should be abolished. Such institutions should be protected from unnecessary administrative scrutiny, excessive documentation, and avoidable compliance requirements,” the manifesto stated.
Demand to withdraw rent escalation
The annual 10 per cent rent escalation imposed on private Marathi and regional-medium schools operating in BMC school buildings should be immediately withdrawn.
“These schools have minimal fees and few students, and coping with the annual hike adds to the financial burden,” said Raorane.
Appeal for tax concessions
The manifesto also demanded tax concessions and financial relief for schools.
“The electricity, water, and all other local taxes for aided and private schools functioning within municipal limits should be levied at domestic (residential) rates. Property tax should be fully waived for all schools operating within municipal corporation areas,” it stated.
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Hope for renewed focus on education
“If the administration focuses on schools and prioritises the provision of basic facilities, issues will begin to resolve. In the last five years, there has been no improvement, but we hope that after the elections there will be a full-fledged focus on education,” said Raorane.
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