State of school ‘dismal’, Manish Sisodia suspends principal, 2 officials

On Friday, Sisodia suspended Deputy Director of Education (NW) Neena Kumari and education officer Kishore Sorte after inspecting the school with the sub divisional magistrate of Narela.

The minister found several things lacking in the school – from clean toilets to desks. According to the order, the students had not had a chemistry lab for the last few years and classes were being taken in a hall while motorcycles of the staff were parked in a classroom. This, even as 10 classrooms were found to be vacant, the order added.

The Principal, however, termed most of the allegations as “false, baseless and outright lies”. Speaking to The Indian Express, Ram said, “It is a lie that students have not seen the chemistry lab. The lab assistant did never take classes, but I had repeatedly notified him and the higher authorities about this. I don’t have the power to suspend, so what could I do except this?”

On bikes being parked in a classroom, Ram said the government had mistaken a ‘tin shed’ for a classroom. He said there was no option but to teach the student in a big hall in the absence of proper infrastructure. “If there are no classrooms, how and where do I teach? I have to make arrangements,” he said.

The principal admitted to the presence of cobwebs in some classrooms, mosquito breeding, unclean toilets and general lack of cleaning. “I only have three women sweepers for the entire school of 2,300 kids. Does the government really expect three employees to manage everything?”

Asked why he did not use the school development fund to take care of things, the principal claimed that in the absence of a school management committee, a decision on spending school’s funds could not be taken. “The SMC election got over on September 14. In fact, I had to use my own money to buy two water tanks for the school just yesterday,” he added