Future of students in public schools to be safegurded: Reddy to cong

New Delhi, Dec 12 (UNI) Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy today said the Centre would formulate a policy to safeguard the future of 10 lakhs students studying in about 1700 public schools running on private lands in the Capital.

Addressing a delegation of parents and managements of public schools being run on private lands in the Capital, led by Congress MP Sajjan Kumar and DPCC President Ram Babu Sharma, at his residence, Mr Reddy assured that the Urban Development Ministry was making concerted efforts to regularise these schools in the proposed Master Plan-2021.

Uncertainty prevails on the future of the students of these schools with the Supreme Court having taken serious objections to the running of public schools in the residential areas of the Capital, and allowing them to function till the current session only.

In the memorandum given to Mr Reddy, Mr Kumar and Mr Sharma stated that the public schools being run in the Capital were duly accorded recognition by the Education Deptt. Of the Delhi Government under the Education Act, 1973 framed by the Centre. They said these public schools were not established by encroaching on the Government land.

''To close these recognised schools would tantamount to playing with the future of the students,''they said.

''On one hand, the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development is providing avenues of education through Open Schools to those students who could not get opportunities of formal schooling while on the other hand it is depriving 10 lakh of students in the Capital. This is not only improper but also a blatant violation of the policy of universal education,''they said.

Congress MLA Mukesh Sharma said that as per the policy decision of the Centre, it was necessary to have a school within the periphery of 3 Kms whereas on the practical side of it in case these schools are closed no land would be available for opening schools in these areas.

He stated that the Government should immediately make provision of regularization of these schools under the Master Plan - 2021 without any condition.

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