The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is renting out school space.
Written by The Indian Express
2 min read
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If a school is meant to be an inviolate,inspiring space for a child to learn,play and grow,then the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC has no such conception of it. The richest civic body in the country,one which is responsible for the infrastructure and administration of the largest metropolis,Mumbai,is grossly dismissive of the needs of a prime,vulnerable constituency: the students in its schools. The BMC schools are meant to make education accessible to the large,less privileged sections in and around the city which cannot afford expensive private schools.
Yet,in almost a third of its over 1,300 primary and secondary schools,students have to share space with NGOs,trade unions,private coaching centres and even a law court and an organisation for alcoholics anonymous to which the BMC has rented out rooms. As this newspaper reported on Monday,in some instances,schools have been shut down and the buildings given over for commercial purposes. Just last week,the Bombay high court came down on the BMCs proposal to demolish a school building and erect a mall on the premises.
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While it could be an infringement of land use laws,it is even more so a violation of the dignity and rights of students. Of those children who are restricted from playing in the ground because a court is in session. Of those children who are sandwiched between or surrounded by a horde of organisations that have no business to be working out of a school building. Of those children who deserve better amenities and facilities,but are forced to share even their meagre resources. The BMC says it has stopped renting out rooms and has to review its policy regarding the old tenants. It is something on which the civic body can no longer sit idly.
