Heads of Edn committees unaware of schools without playground
| Date :01-Jul-2019 |
This school run by NMC at Nandanvan has no well-maintained ground.
By Vikas Vaidya:
ZP Education Committee Chairman Ukesh Chavan vows to create grounds for ZP-run schools
Though the Right to Education (RTE) Act made it mandatory for the schools to have playgrounds, there are 288 schools in Nagpur area, most of them run by civic authorities, which do not have playgrounds. Shockingly, both the Chairpersons of Education Committees of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Zilla Parishad are unaware of the fact. Recently, the civic authority submitted information to Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court stating that of the 145 schools inspected by the civic body had playgrounds. It also had provided the data of the schools being run sans playground. It stated, Nagpur district has as many as 304 secondary schools which are functioning without proper playgrounds. Almost 50 per cent of them are run by Zilla Parishad, Municipal Corporation, Municipal Councils and Nagar Parishads.
According to the affidavit, earlier the number of secondary schools without playground was 359, but 48 schools made arrangement of playground while seven schools had closed down. Total 109 schools without ground are run by Zilla Parishad, 32 belong to Municipal Corporation while 6 belong to Municipal Councils. Similarly, 72 secondary schools without ground are fully aided but run by private managements while 79 are private unaided schools.
Education Officer had sent several reminders to these schools directing them to ensure availability of playground for middle and high school-going children, but no step was taken. When contacted, Dilip Diwe, Chairman of Education Committee of NMC, said, “We have 153 schools and if 145 out of those have playground then it is a good picture. In case where playground is not available, adjacent open space or playground is being used for recreational and sporting activities of the school students.” But Priti Mishrikotkar, new Education Officer of NMC pointed out, “The submission of civic bodies regarding schools having playground is overall. 145 schools include those run by NMC, ZP, Municipal Council. So, NMC can not claim that its maximum schools have playground.
Of course, I am new here so don’t know the details. I shall check and let you know.” Ukesh Chavan, Chairman of Education Committee of Zilla Parishad also was unaware of schools not having playgrounds. But he showed concern about it. “I am not aware of the playgrounds of schools but what you told me, I assure that I would move proposal for creating playgrounds in ZP schools,” Chavan assured while talking to ‘The Hitavada’. High Court had also expressed as to how physical education was being provided to the students of the schools running sans playgrounds and justification for spending on huge salaries of physical education teachers in absence of a basic facility like ground.